To raise awareness about cervical cancer for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Zeta Phi Beta, Inc. will host an information table on Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Don Taft University Center Spine.
Kanika Liburd, senior legal studies major and vice president of Zeta Phi Beta, Inc., said that it’s especially important for female juniors and seniors at NSU to be aware of cervical cancer because they are 21 or nearing age 21.
Liburd was surprised when her doctor recommended screening for cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that women over age 21 get screened for cervical cancer every three years.
“A lot of women don’t know about screening and how often they’re supposed to be screened, and we have to inform them,” Liburd said. “If female students get checked out early, the cancer can be removed. I hope this event will convince them to get checked out.”
According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, more than 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women, but it is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is found in 99 percent of cervical cancers, but the majority of women with HPV do not develop cervical cancer.
At the table, students can learn more about cervical cancer and participate in games and giveaways, and Zeta Phi Beta, Inc. will collect donations for an organization, yet to be determined, that supports cervical cancer awareness.
The table event is part of Zeta Phi Beta Inc.’s Stronger with Knowledge series, in which the sorority focuses on a different health issue and informs students about it each month. Already, they’ve covered premature birth and sickle cell disease.
“We decided to start the Stronger with Knowledge series because we were only doing major diseases that had affected our members,” Liburd said. “We decided to pick lesser-known diseases to raise awareness about [for] each month.
For more information, contact Liburd at kl784@nova.edu.
