Latina

Hispanic Heritage Month

Did you know that Hispanic/Latina women have the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer in the U.S.? They undergo significantly fewer Pap tests than non-Hispanic white and black women and are less likely than women of other races/ethnicities to return for recommended follow-up after an abnormal Pap test.

These statistics from the American Cancer Society and Centers from Disease Control (CDC) are instructive to us at Cervivor to guide some of our educational efforts.

National Hispanic Heritage Month (celebrated Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 to correspond with the independence of many countries in Central America) honors Hispanic history, culture and contributions. Communities across the country mark the month with festivals and educational activities.

We want to halt cervical cancer in its tracks, in America and around the world. To do that most effectively, we need to be aware of the disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality among populations of women. 

For example, in the U.S., black women (followed by Hispanic women) have the highest death rate from cervical cancer. Mortality (death) rates of cervical cancer among Hispanic women are 50 percent higher than those of non-Hispanic women, and incidence rates among Hispanics are twice the rates of non-Hispanic women. Different populations bear different burdens of this disease, for different reasons.

Data from the American Cancer Society show that Hispanic women are less likely to get regular Pap tests. Hispanic and Latino Americans amount to an estimated 17.8% of the total U.S. population, making up the largest ethnic minority. This makes it a focus for our educational messages about cervical cancer prevention with Pap testing, HPV testing and HPV vaccination. This makes it a focus for our advocacy, education and personal Cervivor stories. 

What can we do as Cervivors?

  1. Familiarize yourself with Spanish-language educational resources and share them as part of your education and advocacy work. There is a downloadable Spanish-language “foto-novela” from the American Sexual Health Association, for example, fact sheets from the National Cancer Institute and cervical cancer screening patient information sheets from the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. (These and many more Spanish language resources are available here.)
  2. Join Cervivor Español: Private Facebook Group For Latina Cervical Cancer Patients & Survivors.
  3. Support local and national cancer control and prevention programs and policies aimed at decreasing disparities in cervical cancer mortality. For example: health reform efforts to reduce discriminatory practices against cancer patients and survivors; policies to include no-cost cervical cancer screenings and HPV vaccination as a mandated part of insurance coverage, and initiatives to expand HPV vaccination. 
  4. Support the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP): The CDC’s NBCCEDP provides uninsured and underinsured women access to no-cost screening and diagnostic services, as well as a pathway to cancer treatment. Support federal and state funding for this program. Advocate for more funding to expand the reach of this lifesaving program. 
  5. Share your story. We’d love to have more representation from Latina Cervivors on our site. Submit your story here and come to one of our Cervivor Schools to learn more about bringing education and advocacy to your community. 
  6. Share Cervivor content on your social media platforms. You never know who might need this information.

We are all bonded by this disease. We are all motivated to ensure that no one else has to go through what we’ve gone through. Let’s be aware of the racial disparities in cervical cancer, address them head on, and put our support, stories and voices behind programs that can change cervical cancer statistics and save lives. 

Let’s celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by recognizing the power and strength of the Latino community and to doing what we can to expand education about cervical cancer screening and prevention. 

A Decade of Advocacy

It is surreal for me to think that I have been an advocate and sharing my story of cervical cancer for ten years.  I say this because after treatment, I just wanted to stay quiet.  Not talk about the whole ordeal and just move forward.

I am sure many survivors feel this way after treatment, but I have also met many that are very vocal about every single step of their journey.  I was not one of them.  I do not have any documentation about my journey.  The only thing I have are 35 hospital bracelets for each time I had a radiation treatment.  

It wasn’t until four months after treatment that my brother insisted on doing a cervical cancer walk. A coincidence? Perhaps. I will never know.  At first, I did not want to do it, but he insisted so much that I gave in. 

Walk to Beat the Clock – NYC

On September 19, 2009, at the Walk to Beat the Clock, I met Tamika Felder, a cervical cancer survivor and the founder of Tamika and Friends, which later rebranded to Cervivor.  That day I met other survivors as well.  They were sharing their cervical cancer stories.  These stories were similar to mine and told with such heart, passion and confidence.

First time meeting Tamika

I was in awe.  I was inspired and motivated but most importantly I did not feel alone anymore.  At that moment, I made a decision that I wanted to join the cause and the movement. I wanted to share my own story and let other women know that my journey did not have to be theirs and that they were not alone. 

My mission became even clearer when Tamika invited me to a Latino Summit in Washington D.C. It was there that I learned the statistics between cervical cancer and Latinas. 

To be able to share my own story I needed to be authentic, open and be able to deliver it with an open heart.  Tamika said to me at the very beginning “always tell your story from your heart, because when it comes from the heart people listen.” I have applied this statement to the hundreds of times I have told my story and I still do.  

First radio interview

I still remember the first time I told my story. It was March 28, 2010 and it was a radio interview in Spanish for 95.9 FM El Poder Latino (The Latino Power).  I was so nervous, my heart was pounding, but I remembered what Tamika had told me to do and I spoke from the heart.

On January 25, 2014, I attended the first Cervivor School, which took place in New York City.  Cervivor School is a life-changing event. It is empowering, informational, educational and inspirational.  We also get to share our views, our stories, our concerns, our goals, our obstacles and our strengths.  It is so important that survivors who become advocates are educated and informed with the latest facts to be able to bring the proper message forward. 

It has been a journey of highs and lows.  The reality of things is that not everyone is going to be interested in listening to your story or anything you have to say and this had to be OK with me. I did not let this discourage me.  As advocates, we set to save the world. Unfortunately, I came to the realization that I cannot save the world, I cannot even save New York City, where I reside, but if my message gets to one person in the crowd, I have completed my mission. 

Through the years, there have been many ways I have advocated: free cervical cancer screening events, health fairs and interviews with different media outlets. Not every presentation or interview has been perfect, but I can honestly say that I never did it for the accolades.  I do it to educate women that need to know that this cancer is preventable and treatable if found early.  We lose over 4000 women every year in the United States alone. These women were someone’s wife, aunt, daughter, mother, grandmother and their lives matter.

I am very proud of the work I do as an advocate and I am humbled to say that my advocacy work has been recognized.  

New York City Proclamation

All the work has been important to me, but I hold two events dear to my heart. The first is the proclamation for my advocacy, given to me by the New York City Council on January 10, 2015. This was one of the proudest moments of my advocacy world. 

Lasker Awards with Dr. Lowy

The other was being invited to the Lasker Awards  in 2017 where I met Dr. Douglas R. Lowy and Dr. John T. Schiller, the two scientists that were the recipients of that year’s  award for their technological advances enabling the development of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine which prevents cervical cancer and other tumors.  So proud that my story was featured in their submitted video. 

My advocacy journey has brought me full circle.  Today I lead a survivor fitness group as the Cervivor Wellness Instructor.  Survivor Slimdown is a Facebook group open to ALL CANCER SURVIVORS.  It is a space for inspiration, motivation and accountability as we learn to navigate our way to health after a cancer diagnosis.

I must say that the best part of my advocacy has been meeting my wonderful and inspirational Cervivor sisters.  Every single one of them has a story that matters.  Stories that show resilience, courage and strength.  Unfortunately, many of them are no longer here, but we keep them in our hearts.  We honor them by continuing to share their stories and legacies because they did make a difference. 

We all bond with the same mission to end cervical cancer and to make our generation the last one to fight this disease.

Advocacy in action!

My heartfelt thanks to Tamika Felder and the Cervivor organization for giving me a voice and a platform to share my story. This organization has supported me on my way back.  They have also supported so many other women fighting and surviving this disease. I will never feel alone again.

Patti is a Cervivor Ambassador and Cervivor’s Wellness Instructor who manages our Survivor Slimdown Facebook group. She is a retired NYPD police officer and an 11 year cervical cancer survivor. She resides in NYC with her husband of 21 years where she’s a Group Fitness Instructor and a Health Advocate.