Approximately 10,000 American women will learn they have cervical cancer/HPV this year, and nearly 4,000 will die from an advanced form of the disease.

This January, during Cervical Health Awareness Month, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) is focused on educating women about the importance of the Pap test as a screening tool for cervical cancer HPV and about vaccines that can further reduce the burden of this devastating disease. It's the start of a new year, a time many reflect on their health. To start the year right, we encourage women to contact their health care provider to schedule a Pap test to check for cervical cancer. This screening is a crucial part of a woman's health care regimen, yet one that many overlook. "It's important to remember that cervical cancer is a preventable disease- as long as it's caught early enough," says Sarina Araujo, Executive Director of the NCCC.

While routine administration of Pap tests is the best means of detecting cervical cancer at an early stage, vaccines have the potential to protect women from the disease, by targeting cancer-causing types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV, a virus transmitted through sexual contact, is the single known cause of cervical cancer. Two forms of the virus, HPV 16 and HPV 18, account for more than 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases. Some medical experts believe that through a successful education, screening and vaccination program for women, we will have the potential to nearly eliminate cervical cancer in the U.S.

"These vaccines represent a major advancement in women's health and in cancer prevention. With these new tools, we may be able to help ensure no woman in the United States has to endure cervical cancer," says Juan C. Felix, MD, chairman of the NCCC medical advisory panel and chief of OB/GYN pathology at the Women's and Children's Hospital, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. "We hope these vaccines will make cervical cancer a concern of the past."

Alan Kaye, the Chair of the Board of Directors of the NCCC states; "The United States has an inadequate delivery system for vaccines that may hinder mass immunization of women for the cervical cancerIHPV vaccine." Kaye went on to state; "The United States healthcare system is not structured adequately to handle the widespread immunization of adolescents and young adults."

The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC), founded in 1997, is a grassroots nonprofit organization serving women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV.

The NCCC is the only organization dedicated exclusively to helping women address concerns about cervical health and disease. The group executes its mission to improve women's cervical health outcomes through education, support and advocacy for women and health care providers. The NCCC supports the nation's first Cervical Cancer Hotline for women and family members who are battling issues related to cervical cancer. In addition, it promotes patient interaction and support though its Phone Pals and E-Pals Programs, which match cervical cancer survivors with other women who are now living with or have experienced similar circumstances.

The NCCC raises awareness nationally through a variety of initiatives, including the Cerv.ical Cancer Quilts Project, a traveling exhibit that puts a personal face on the battle against cervical cancer.

To learn more about the NCCC, visit nccc-online.org.

As the nation's population age increases, more and more senior citizens are at risk for debilitating illnesses, especially Alzheimer's disease.

The elderly population, those aged 65 years and older, is expected to double from approximately 35 million today to more than 70 million by 2030.

The number of persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the Big Bend Area will also increase dramatically and many will feel the effects.

To learn more about Alzheimer's disease and how it affects the family, an annual Alzheimer's disease Education and Training Conference will be held 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 in Tallahassee, and is open to everyone.

This Silver Anniversary Conference is free and will include breakfast; lunch and onsite respite care will be provided.

For more information contact James Smith at 850-386-2778 or james@alzheimersproject.org

An Alzheimer's and Dementia Support Group will meet 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the First United Methodist Church in the Family Ministry Center on West Walnut Street in Monticello.

A light lunch will be served. This is a free monthly program, meeting on the third Wednesday of every month. Call 514-2778 or 997-5545 for more information.

During the months February and March, local citizens will have the opportunity to catch the St. Patrick's Day spirit and help in the fight against neuromuscular diseases by buying a shamrock mobile.

Retailers will sell green shamrocks for $1 and gold shamrocks for $5. Shamrocks against Dystrophy last year raised $130,000, which will fund programs and services including: $30 for one annual flu shot, $74 for one minute of research, $100 for one support group session, $150 physical therapy consultation, $500 for one annual repair of durable medical equipment, $750 for muscle biopsy and interpretation and $800 sends a child to MDA summer camp for those individuals affected by neuromuscular diseases in the Northwest Florida and Southwest Georgia areas.

MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat more than 43 neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and professional and public health education.

For more information call the local MDA office at 850-681-6763.

Nancy Braden, public health information coordinator for the Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment, reports that tooth decay remains the most common chronic health disease for children despite advances made with sealants and fluoride.

February is National Child Dental Care Month and the Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment urges residents to make sure their children are receiving regular dental care.

The Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment's reduced cost dental care clinic offers dental care to low-income residents of Jefferson County aged three to 18 years.

Dentists, dental assistants, and hygienists provide preventative and restorative dental care services.

The Jefferson County Dental Clinic is funded by K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Dentistry,) the United Way, and the Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment.

Dental conditions that affect children, like tooth decay, gum disease, and tobacco related conditions, are fundamentally preventable and once they occurred are treatable. Unfortunately, many children go without dental care.

Children with dental problems suffer daily from chronic toothaches, disfigured smiles, dysfunctional speech, and difficulty eating.

Tooth decay is increasingly a disease of low and modest income children. According to the National Institute of Dental Research 80 percent of tooth decay is now found in only 25 percent of children.

To decrease cavities, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children eat a balanced diet and only have foods with sugar or starch at meal times.

The Academy further recommends that snacks are only served three or four times a day and that whenever possible the snacks are nutritious. Cheese, vegetables, yogurt, milk, even chocolate milk, are good examples.

To prevent baby bottle tooth decay, children should never be put to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, or juice.

For more information or to make an appointment at the Jefferson County KIND Dental Clinic call the dental office at 850-342-0170, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5p.m.

According to the American Dental Association, National Children's Dental Health Month actually began as a one-day event in February 1941. By 1981, the program was extended to a month-long celebration.

Cavities used to be a fact of life. But over the past few decades, tooth decay has been reduced dramatically. The key reason is that research has shown that fluoride reduces cavities in both children and adults. It also helps repair the early stages of tooth decay even before the decay becomes visible. Unfortunately, many people continue to be misinformed about fluoride and fluoridation. Fluoride is like any other nutrient; it is safe and effective when used appropriately. This article will help you learn more about the important oral health benefits of Fluoridation fluoride.

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in all water sources, even the oceans. The fluoride ion comes from the element fluorine. Fluorine, the 13th most abundant element in the earth's crust, is never encountered in its free state in nature. It exists only in combination with other elements as a fluoride compound.

Fluoride is effective in preventing and reversing the early signs of dental caries already present in the mouth making them more decay-resistant. Topical fluorides include toothpastes, mouth rinses and professionally applied fluoride therapies.

Systemic fluorides are those that are ingested into the body and become incorporated into forming tooth structures. Systemic fluorides can also give topical protection because fluoride is present in saliva, which continually bathes the teeth. Systemic fluorides include water fluoridation or dietary fluoride supplements in the form of tablets, drops or lozenges.

The American Dental Association recommends that everyone use fluoride toothpaste displaying the ADA Seal of Acceptance. No matter how you get the fluoride you need, whether it is through your drinking water, supplements, toothpaste, mouth rinse, or professionally applied fluoride, you can be confident that fluoride is silently at work.

The United States Congress designated January as Cervical Health Awareness Month. During January, you may wish to highlight issues related to cervical cancer, HPV disease and the importance of early detection. Some of the issues you may wish to highlight are personal stories of women and family members/caregivers battling issues related to their persistent HPV/pre-cancer and/or cervical cancer. You may wish to highlight recent advances and research in the prevention, detection and treatment of cervical cancer or HPV. You can highlight the success of your local/regional early detection cervical cancer screening and treatment programs and human-interest stories on the importance of early detection, education and the emotional issues related to battling cervical cancer and HPV.

Cervical cancer is nearly 100 percent preventable, yet according to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 13,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2002 and about 4,100 women will die of the disease. The good news is that cervical cancer is preventable and curable if it is detected early; in fact, the occurrence of deaths from cervical cancer has declined significantly over the last 20 to 30 years

Cervical cancer rates are higher among older women; however, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (or CIN), the precursor lesion to cervical cancer, most often occurs among younger women. Screening younger women using the Papanicolaou (Pap) test is an important strategy that can actually prevent cervical cancer from developing almost 100 percent of the time.

Minority populations and persons of low socioeconomic status are affected disproportionately as well.

Studies that have identified risk factors associated with cervical cancer have shown that cervical cancer is closely linked to failure to receive regular Pap test screening human papillomavirus (HPV) infection certain sexual behaviors (see paragraph below)immunosuppressive disorders such as HIV/AIDS

Experts agree that infection with certain strains of the HPV is one of the strongest risk factors for cervical cancer. The sexual behaviors specifically associated with greater risk are intercourse at an early age, multiple male sexual partners, and sex with a male partner who has had multiple sexual partners. Experts also agree that one of the most important things women can do to reduce their risk of cervical cancer is to receive regular screening with a Pap test.

Bethesda 2001 updates the earlier Bethesda System, first published in 1989 and revised in 1991. The 2001 version reflects the most current knowledge about the biology of Pap test abnormalities and addresses new screening technologies that appeared in the past decade. The 2001 Bethesda System does not itself include guidelines for managing these abnormalities. However, it serves as the basis for new management guidelines that appear in companion articles (i.e., 2001 Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Women With Cervical Cytological Abnormalities and 2001 Bethesda System: Terminology for Reporting Results of Cervical Cytology) in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 287, No. 16, April 24, 2002. The articles can be accessed at the following Web site: http://jama.ama-assn.org/. The guidelines were developed under the sponsorship of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) in tandem with the 2001 Bethesda System. For a additional information, please see links below.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has in place an independent panel of experts in primary care and disease prevention called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (1996). This task force systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services. Currently, the task force recommends routine screening for cervical cancer for all women who are or have been sexually active and who have a cervix:

* Pap testing should begin at age 21 or 3 years after onset of sexual activity.

* Pap testing should be repeated at least every 3 years.

* Pap screening can be discontinued at age 70 for women with an intact cervix, who have had 3 consecutive satisfactory normal/negative pap tests, and have had no abnormal pap tests in the previous 10 years.

There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine screening with cervicography, routine screening with colposcopy, and screening for human papilloma virus infection, although recommendations against such screening can be made on other grounds.

Many organizations, including the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and others also recommend that Pap testing should:

1. Begin pap testing 3 years after onset of sexual activity or at age 21.

2. For women 30 and under, test annually with conventional pap test or every 2 years if using a liquid based pap test.

3. For women over 30, testing may be done every 2-3 years after 3 consecutive normal pap tests (unless DES exposed or immunosuppressed).

4. Women who are past menopause (change of life) still need to have regular Pap tests.

However, women who have undergone a hysterectomy in which the cervix was removed do not require Pap testing, unless the hysterectomy was performed because of cervical cancer or its precursors.