let’s talk about sex

There are loads of good reasons to have girlfriends in your life. Not only do they make great shopping partners, they’re usually willing to lend an ear when you need someone to talk to, or a shoulder when you need one to lean on. If you’re lucky enough to find a few good friends, they can offer a wealth of advice and talk with you about your deepest most intimate secrets. The hottest topic of discussion among girlfriends should be the fact that more than 1 in 4 teenaged girls in the U.S. is infected with at least one sexually transmitted infection such as human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, genital herpes or trichomoniasis, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even more alarming is the fact that 48 percent of black teenaged girls are infected compared to 20 percent of white girls. Here’s your charge. Encourage your girlfriends to talk to their health care provider about cervical cancer, which is caused by HPV.

According to the One4One campaign, many women don’t realize that they can be exposed to HPV as early as their teens or 20s. About half of all women who develop cervical cancer are between 35 and 55 years old. The unfortunate reality is that women from certain racial and ethnic backgrounds are disproportionately affected by cervical cancer. That increased risk is in part due to the fact that many minority women are living in poverty and generally have less access to health care, including screening. Social and cultural barriers are other factors that often deter these women from receiving access to care.

At age 25, Tamika Felder, a Summerville, S.C., native, received a grim prognosis from her doctor. She was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer, which required her to undergo a radical hysterectomy and ended her hopes of ever bearing children. She started Tamika & Friends Inc., a grassroots organization to raise awareness about cervical cancer. They host fundraising walks and HPV parties to encourage women to be proactive about their sexual health.

For every woman who pledges to talk to her health care provider about cervical cancer via www.One4OnePledge.org between April 24 and May 30, Merck will donate $5, up to $1 million total, to the participating One4One organization. The funds raised will be used to provide cervical cancer information programs and other educational services for women across the United States, including women at greater risk of developing the disease due to lack of access to information or health care. Tamika & Friends Inc. is one of the beneficiaries. –yvette caslin