Facebook application aims to raise awareness, prevent cervical cancer

Facebook application aims to raise awareness, prevent cervical cancer

An estimated 11,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and more than 4,000 women die from the disease annually, according to data from the National Cervical Cancer Coalition. In an effort to reduce these figures, the Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Initiative introduced a new Facebook application to raise awareness of the cancer and prevention measures such as screenings and the HPV vaccine.

USA Today reports:

The app is part of the Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Initiative’s “Cause the Movement” campaign, which promotes education as well as prevention.

“We want to get the message (to) where we know people are getting their information, and Facebook, Twitter and websites are ‘The Thing,’ ” said Dr. Baretta R. Casey, director of the initiative, which is based at the University of Kentucky.

The Facebook application, which can be found at causethemovement.org, incorporates pictures of users’ Facebook pals into an educational video on cervical cancer. The video is viewed from users’ computer screens.

The Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Initiative was created through a partnership betweenRural Cancer Prevention Center at the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health to address cervical cancer rates in the state. GlaxoSmithKline provided unrestricted funding for the project.

By Lia Steakley
Stanford University Medical Center

Photo by Stefan 1981

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* Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions – Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

**  The above story is adapted from materials provided by Stanford University School of Medicine

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