Georgia Coastal Health District

[JPG]January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and the Coastal Health District wants you to know that there’s a lot you can do to prevent cervical cancer. Each year, more than 11,000 women in the United States get cervical cancer.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common infection that spreads through sexual activity, and it causes almost all cases of cervical cancer. About 79 million Americans currently have HPV, but many people with HPV don’t know they are infected.

The good news?

• The HPV vaccine (shot) can prevent HPV.
• Cervical cancer can often be prevented with regular screening tests and follow-up care.

In honor of National Cervical Health Awareness Month, health departments in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties encourage:

• Women to start getting regular cervical cancer screenings at age 21
• Parents to make sure pre-teens get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12

HPV Vaccine

Teens and young adults also need to get the HPV vaccine if they didn’t get it as pre-teens. The HPV vaccine is recommended for everyone through age 26. There are additional recommendations for those over the age of 26.

For more information, check out coastalhealthdistrict.org/hpv.

Here are some more great resources:

How to Talk to Your Pre-Teen about HPV Vaccine

HPV Vaccine Information

HPV Safety Fact Sheet for Parents [PDF, 3.12 MB]

HPV & Cancer

[JPG]Cervical Cancer Screening

The Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening for women who have no insurance (or very limited insurance) and meet certain annual income guidelines. The program provides breast examinations and mammogram referrals to uninsured, low income women between the ages of 40-64 and pap smear testing and pelvic examinations to screen for cervical cancer in women 21-64 years of age.

Get more information on BCCP here.

Measles has been in the news a lot lately. As of April 29, 2019, six residents in Georgia (none in Coastal Health District) have been reported as having measles. Measles have also been reported in nine other states. Measles is highly contagious and can be very dangerous, especially for young children.
The best way to prevent measles is for all children to be fully vaccinated on time. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective and prevents measles and two other viral diseases – mumps and rubella. More than 95% of the people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses. A second dose boosts immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98%.

Measles is spread by air-borne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can live in the air and on surfaces for 2-3 hours. Measles typically begins with a fever, followed by cough, runny nose, and/or red, watery eyes. After two to three days, the fever peaks and a rash appears at the hairline and spreads progressively downward covering the face, neck, trunk and extremities. Symptoms from measles usually appear within 10 – 14 days after exposure. Measles patients are considered to be contagious anywhere from 4 days before to 4 days after the rash appears.

Measles is endemic in many parts of the world and transmission in the U.S. is most often associated with unvaccinated travelers (Americans or foreign visitors) who get measles while they are in other countries.

Who is at increased risk of becoming infected with measles?

• Infants who are too young to have been vaccinated (less than 1 year of age)
• Persons who have never been vaccinated
• Pregnant women
• Immunocompromised persons (these include persons undergoing cancer chemotherapy or other immune-suppressive treatments, transplant recipients or those with diseases that affect the immune system such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE).
  
• Anyone who becomes sick or thinks they may have been exposed to measles should contact your health care provider immediately and let him or her know that you may have been exposed to measles.

Anyone who becomes sick or thinks they may have been exposed to measles should contact their health care provider immediately. DO NOT go to the doctor’s office, the hospital, or a public health clinic without FIRST calling to let them know about your possible contact with measles. Health care providers who suspect measles in a patient should notify public health immediately. For more information about measles, log on to https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html

Diabetes is a serious disease. Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States live with it. More than a quarter of them—8 million—don’t even know they have it and aren’t getting the medical care they need. It’s estimated that another 86 million people have prediabetes, which puts them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have blood glucose (sugar) higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In an effort to promote diabetes awareness, the Coastal Health District’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program will offer FREE blood sugar testing at health departments throughout the month of March.

Free Blood Sugar Testing Events

March 9 – Long County
Long County Health Department, Ludowici
584 N. Macon St., 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

March 21 – Glynn County
Glynn County Health Department, Brunswick
2747 Fourth St.
10 a.m. –  2 p.m.

March 22 – Effingham County
Effingham County Health Department, Springfield
802 Hwy. 119 S.
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

March 22 – Chatham County
Chatham County Health Department, Savannah
– 1395 Eisenhower Dr.
8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

-1602 Drayton St.
1:30 – 5 p.m.

March 23 – Camden County
Camden County Health Department, St. Marys
905 Dilworth St.
8:30 a.m.- 12 p.m.

March 23 – McIntosh County
McIntosh County Health Department, Townsend
1335 GA Hwy. 57
1:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

March 24 – Bryan County
Bryan County Health Department
Pembroke
-430 Ledford St., 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Bryan County Health Department

Richmond Hill
-66 Captain Matthew Freeman Dr., 1:30 – 5:30p.m.

March 25 – Liberty County
Liberty County Health Department, Hinesville
1113 E. Oglethorpe Hwy.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

According to the American Diabetes Association, common symptoms of diabetes include:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry – even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss – even though you are eating more (type 1)
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

For more information on diabetes symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment: American Diabetes Association.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and while breast self-awareness should be important every day of the year, October is a good time to put the spotlight on breast cancer and the services that are available to women in their own communities.

To help reduce the impact of cancer on the lives of Georgians, the the Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (GBCCP) strives to address 2020 Healthy People National Objectives by providing access to timely breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to eligible women. Women diagnosed with cancer through the program are eligible for treatment through Medicaid coverage as authorized by the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment and Prevention Act passed by Congress in 2000.

The GBCCP is for eligible women residing in Georgia aged 21 to 64 years for cervical cancer screening and aged 40 to 64 years for breast cancer screening. The program serves women who are uninsured and those with a low annual income (not greater than 200% of the federal poverty level) with a focus on never/rarely screened women and those aged 50 to 64.

Program Eligibility
The Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Program provides services to adults who meet the following requirements:
• Georgia resident
• Income: Annual income is not greater than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
• No health insurance
• Age: 40-64 years old for breast cancer screening (mammogram).
• Age: 21-64 years old for cervical cancer screening.

Services
Services provided by the Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) include:
• Clinical breast examinations
• Pelvic examinations
• Pap tests
• Mammograms (if 40-64 years old)
• Diagnostic evaluation, if results are abnormal.
• Referrals to treatment through the Women’s Health Medicaid Program.

For more information on the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, please contact your county health department.

For more information on breast cancer screening, detection, and treatment, risk factors, and more, check out Susan G. Komen.

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