January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women are nearly twice as likely to develop cervical cancer compared to White women. Cervical cancer can be prevented and is curable if found early. Turquoise Thursday is a national cervical cancer awareness campaign created by AICAF for AI/AN communities. The aim of Turquoise Thursday is to increase awareness about the importance of cervical cancer screening and encourage all women to stay up to date on cancer screenings. We invite people of all ages to join us in raising awareness of cervical cancer in Indian country by wearing turquoise clothing and/or jewelry and sharing photos on social media using the hashtag #TurquoiseThursday. This is a national campaign on a digital platform so community members are welcome to participate from anywhere!
Wear Turquoise.
Wear turquoise clothing and/or jewelry to raise awareness about cervical cancer screening and early detection in AI/AN communities. Invite friends, family, and coworkers at your organization or business to wear turquoise.
Share.
Share a picture of yourself wearing turquoise on social media and use the hashtag #TurquoiseThursday. Tell your friends and family about Turquoise Thursday. Inspire your network to take action by sharing posts from our Turquoise Thursday Social Media Toolkit.
Get screened.
Women should start screening at 21 years. Pledge to talk to your healthcare provider about cervical cancer screening options. Schedule your next Pap test or HPV test. Tell us why you will get cervical cancer screening by sharing this sign on social media. Use hashtag #TurquoiseThursday.
Get the HPV vaccine.
People ages 9 to 26 years can prevent HPV-related cancers by getting the HPV vaccine. Melissa Buffalo (Meskwaki), AICAF CEO, shared story about how she talked with her daughter about the HPV vaccine. Learn more about the HPV vaccine at our resources page.
Learn.
Engage with us the entire month of January as we share culturally tailored cervical cancer screening resources, toolkits, and webinars. Stay informed about cervical cancer, screening, and early detection. Share our education and awareness materials with your relatives.
Share story.
Read the cervical cancer stories from the AICAF Survivor Stories Series. This collection of stories centers experiences and wisdom of AI/AN cancer survivors to inspire people to be proactive about their health. Share these stories with the people in your life to lift up the importance of cervical health, screening, and early detection.