by Candice Smith, MSN, chief nursing officer

Hereford Regional Partners With Texas Tech to Provide Free Cervical Cancer Screening

This month, on Jan. 25, the Hereford Clinic in partnership with Texas Tech Physicians will host a free walk-in cervical cancer screening clinic for uninsured women.

Regular Pap tests to detect abnormal cells are the best way to identify cervical cancer in its earlier stage. Current clinical guidelines recommend women between the ages of 21 and 65 be screened every three years. For women between the ages of 30 and 65, co-testing (Pap and screening for HPV (human papilloma virus) are recommended every five years.

Texas women have one of the lowest rates of cervical cancer screening and one of the highest rates of cervical cancer cases. Just 75 percent of Texas women reported receiving a Pap test in the past three years. Texas has the 4^th highest rate of cervical cancer cases of all the states. An estimated 447 Texas women will die of cervical cancer this year.

Early detection is important.

Hereford Regional wants to make sure everyone in our community has access to regular screenings. Screening tests offer the best chance to finding cervical cancer early when treatment can be most successful. Screening can also actually prevent most cervical cancers by finding abnormal cell changes (pre-cancers) so that they can be treated before they have a chance to turn into a cervical cancer.

For more information and to pre-schedule an appointment for your free cervical cancer screening on Jan. 25, please call 806-414-9422 (English) or 806-414-9556 (Spanish).

Hereford Regional Medical Center is here for you. Stay well.