The Cervical Cancer Screening Project Team aims to reduce disparities in screening and treatment for cervical cancer. The team is comprised of more than 30 individuals from public, private, and community-based organizations across the state. Members collaborate to raise awareness of cervical cancer among women and to address barriers to screening and prevention. Recognizing that language, culture, socio-economic status, and education levels all factor into how women understand and utilize health information, team activities emphasize the importance of appropriate messaging in reaching underserved women. Activities include:

• Flip charts containing large, full-color illustrations have been updated and reproduced for use in educating women about breast and cervical cancers. 
•  A data base to help women find clinics that provide free or reduced cost cervical cancer screening has been placed on the web site wwwhealthymnwomen.org.
• An educational tool kit is being prepared to assist health educators and/or community health workers provide optimum cervical cancer outreach.  This toolkit includes reminder cards to encourage women to seek annual cervical cancer screening.  A Spanish version will soon be tested.
• The American Cancer Society, 3 Rivers Pathology, and St. Paul Ramsey Public Health are planning a free cancer screening event for St. Paul residences in 2008.
• In Stearns County, the Building Bridges Coalition conducts cervical cancer outreach with women working in factories and processing plants.
• Programs to help educate Muslim women about breast and cervical cancer 

Co-Chairs:

Sara Rohde, Minnesota International Health Volunteers: srohde@mihv.org

Marie Tran, Vietnamese Social Services of Minnesota: mariemhtran@vssmn.org.