Livingston County offering cervical cancer screenings

The Livingston County Health Department screenings continue through January. (Photo courtesy Cynthia Grau/WJEZ)

By Cynthia Grau

PONTIAC – January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and the Livingston County Health Department is offering screenings through the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of deaths from cervical cancer has decreased significantly, largely from Pap tests, which is one of the screenings offered through the IBCCP.

Health Education and Marketing Director Erin Fogarty explains the screenings are for those who would otherwise have a difficult time getting them.

“It’s for any women who either do not have insurance or who have insurance with a very high deductible,” Fogarty said. “It’s for women between the ages of 35 and 64. We help cover mammogram exams, pelvic exams, Pap screenings and any tests that come thereafter.”

For more information, call Tondra Harris at 815-844-7174, extension 236.

Cynthia Grau can be reached at [email protected].

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