Free pelvic exams offered to underinsured women

Through the state of Illinois' Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP), the McHenry County Department of Health offers free pelvic exams and Pap tests to any uninsured or underinsured woman between the ages of 35 and 64.

Fifty-one women in McHenry County were diagnosed with cervical cancer between the years 2000-04.

Infection with the human papilloma virus, or HPV, is the No. 1 risk factor for cervical cancer development.

Between 60 and 80 percent of American women with newly diagnosed invasive cervical cancers have not had a Pap test in the past five years, and many have never had a Pap test.

When caught early, cervical cancer is almost 100 percent curable.

Mammograms are also free through the IBCCP program for uninsured and underinsured women ages 40 to 64.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with one in eight women developing breast cancer in her lifetime.

McHenry County statistics shows 971 women were diagnosed in the years 2000-04.

Routine mammograms and breast exams can detect cancer early and provide women with better treatment options.

According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 98 percent when diagnosed early, but drops to 26 percent when the cancer is detected later.

McHenry County residents can register now for the IBCCP program by contacting health department at (815) 334-0232.

Services will be provided at the department's newest facility, at 100 N. Virginia St. in Crystal Lake. An open house is scheduled for April 4.