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GRAND FORKS – Spectra Health and Women’s Way, a program of Grand Forks Public Health, are teaming up to provide annual screening for breast and cervical cancer in January, which is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
Spectra’s health care provider, Gail Halverson, a nurse practitioner who specializes in women’s health, will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the month-long “Pap-A-Thon.” She will give women their annual physical exams to screen for breast and cervical cancer with Pap and/or HPV testing. A malignant tumor in the uterus (womb) can be prevented by Pap screening and the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine.
The screening is available to all women, whether or not they have health insurance or are underinsured. Women who meet eligibility requirements may receive these screenings for free through Women’s Way.
To schedule an appointment, call Spectra Health at (701) 757-2100.
Spectra Health, 212 S. Fourth St., is a “one-stop shop” where a wide range of health care is provided, Halverson said.
For questions regarding Women’s Way, contact Tiffany Boespflug, the local Women’s Way coordinator, at (701) 787-8118; or visit Grand Forks Public Health in the Grand Forks County Office Building, 151 S. Fourth St.
Women of all ages should be screened, Halverson and Boespflug said, noting that they both know young women who have been diagnosed with cancer of the cervix, the lowermost part of the uterus.
In some cases, there may be no symptoms, which makes early detection, by means of a Pap test, so important.
“Cervical Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder of the importance of cervical cancer prevention,” Boespflug said. “Simple steps that anyone can take to prevent cervical cancer include vaccinating early. The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most often cause cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers.”
The HPV vaccine provides a stronger immune response when taken during the preteen years, 11 to 12 years old, but women and men can be vaccinated through age 45, Boesplfug said.
It’s also important to have regular screening tests, such as Pap or HPV tests, and to return to the doctor if the test results are not normal, she said.
The local Women’s Way program has been used to help more than 900 people receive screening for breast and/or cervical cancer in the past year, according to Boespflug.
Women who need help paying for the screening should contact Boespflug to determine eligibility for assistance through Women’s Way.
“If you have health insurance that covers those appointments, Women’s Way can provide navigation services to help make sure you are up to date with your preventive screenings,” she said.
Eligible women will receive a free screening and a $25 Walmart gift card, Boespflug said.
For more information on health care events of this type, visit Grand Forks Public Health’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
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