My mother died of cervical cancer at the age of 39. Not only does cervical cancer kill about 4000 women per year, a disproportionate number of those women are Black.
Cervical cancer has been linked to a sexually transmitted virus called HPV. The CDC estimates that over 50% of the population either have this virus or will contract it in their lifetime. Many times the virus is harmless, but sometimes the virus can cause problems like warts or cervical cancer.
The good news is that they have found a vaccine against HPV that is effective if given to girls before they become sexually active. The recommended time is about 6th grade. But anytime we even mention the word “SEX”, you best believe religious conservatives will be lurking somewhere around the corner, ready to squelch any logical conversation about women’s health with their irrational fear that promiscuity will abound (more than it already has). In this case, they are arguing that a vaccine will sabotage their “abstinence only” messages and promote promiscuity.
I’ve written two articles that all women, especially black women should read…
Why are so many Black Women Dying of a Preventable Disease and
