Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005

GYNECOLOGIC CANCER EDUCATION AND AWARENESS ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - November 14, 2006)

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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 1245, the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act, also named Johanna's Law. It is an important piece of legislation which would provide for programs to increase the awareness and knowledge of women and health care providers with respect to gynecologic cancers.

Gynecologic cancers include cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer. Gynecologic cancers affect approximately 80,000 American women each year and take nearly 29,000 lives. While diagnosis and treatment methods are becoming more targeted and accurate for gynecologic cancers, most women do not understand the symptoms or signs of gynecologic cancer and, therefore, are frequently diagnosed late. A late diagnosis often makes treatment more difficult and lengthens the need for medical care.

Unfortunately, many women and their physicians are unaware of the symptoms of gynecologic cancers. A recent poll conducted for the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation found that 47 percent of surveyed women could not name any symptoms of gynecologic cancers.

Johanna's Law would increase awareness by directing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a nationwide campaign to increase women's awareness and knowledge of gynecologic cancers. This campaign would include maintaining and distributing a supply of written materials that provide information to the public about gynecologic cancer. It would also aid in the development of public service announcements intended to encourage women to discuss their risk for gynecologic cancers with their physicians.

Furthermore, this legislation would instruct the Secretary of HHS to take a closer look at both its past and present activities regarding gynecologic cancer awareness and education in hopes of learning what works and what does not, and what needs to be done to help with early detection and treatment of gynecologic cancers.

While we have made significant progress in fighting those cancers, progress such as the newly developed and improved cervical cancer vaccine, one of the biggest threats that remains is the continued need for increased awareness of gynecologic cancers. Quite simply, knowledge is power. Providing women and their doctors with up-to-date information about the causes and symptoms of gynecologic cancers will strengthen and support women's health.

I am proud to support this bipartisan bill to improve women's health, and I applaud the bill's sponsors, Mr. Issa, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Burton for their dedication to women's health.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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