| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution recognizing January 2006 as "Cervical Cancer |
| 3 | Awareness Month" in Florida. |
| 4 |
|
| 5 | WHEREAS, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer |
| 6 | diagnosed among women throughout the world, and |
| 7 | WHEREAS, Florida ranks fourth in the United States for |
| 8 | total number of new cervical cancer cases annually, and the |
| 9 | American Cancer Society estimates that 730 new incidences of the |
| 10 | disease will be diagnosed in the state during the year 2005, and |
| 11 | WHEREAS, the primary cause of cervical cancer is infection |
| 12 | with human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus commonly found in |
| 13 | healthy women and only rarely resulting in cancer, and |
| 14 | WHEREAS, invasive cervical cancers are diagnosed at the |
| 15 | localized, most treatable and survivable stage in 57 percent of |
| 16 | white women and 49 percent of African-American women, and |
| 17 | WHEREAS, early detection is the key to detecting cervical |
| 18 | cancer during its precancerous stages, and the incidence of and |
| 19 | mortality from cervical cancer has been greatly reduced through |
| 20 | the use of annual Pap tests, which can detect precancerous |
| 21 | lesions that may be treated before a cancer develops, and |
| 22 | WHEREAS, the observance of January as Cervical Cancer |
| 23 | Awareness Month and the promotion cervical cancer screening |
| 24 | programs, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| 25 | funded Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection |
| 26 | Program, will aid in early cervical cancer detection through |
| 27 | regular screening, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 28 |
|
| 29 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 30 | Florida: |
| 31 |
|
| 32 | That the House of Representatives recognizes the month of |
| 33 | January 2006 as "Cervical Cancer Awareness Month" in Florida and |
| 34 | urges all women to avail themselves of a better understanding of |
| 35 | the risks associated with this disease, to take preventive steps |
| 36 | to minimize those risks, and to undergo early detection |
| 37 | procedures such as Pap tests and other cervical cancer screening |
| 38 | as recommended by the American Cancer Society guidelines. |