Cervical cancer remains a preventable yet persistent public health issue in the United States and globally. In 2024, the American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 13,820 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., and about 4,360 women will die from the disease (American Cancer Society 2024). While national incidence and mortality rates have declined dramatically over the past several decades, largely due to the widespread implementation of cervical cancer screening, the same progress has not been realized across all populations, most notably rural locations (CDC 2022, National Cancer Institute SEER 2025, Benard 2014). Compared to urban populations, women in rural settings face significantly higher cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates, largely due to lower screening uptake, inadequate access to follow-up care, and delayed treatment initiation. This can be reflective of multiple socio-ecological barriers, including transportation challenges, limited provider availability, lower health literacy, and systemic resource limitations within rural health centers (Ramondetta 2015, Moss 2017, Yabroff 2020). Because of these barriers, women residing in rural communities across the U.S. consistently experience lower cervical cancer screening rates compared to their urban counterparts (Blake 2017, Bonuck 2023). This often translates to a higher incidence of late-stage cervical cancer diagnoses and consequently, higher mortality rates (Henley 2017, Singh 2020).
Georgia, particularly its southern rural regions, reflects these national trends and faces substantial challenges in cervical cancer control. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the state, and disparities exist across geographic regions (Georgia Department of Public Health). Rural South Georgia is characterized by many of the aforementioned barriers, including medically underserved areas, high poverty rates, and transportation challenges, contributing to lower screening adherence and potentially worse outcomes (Georgia Rural Health Association, AHRQ). This is unfortunate as cervical cancer is preventable when detected early.
Given these facts, the Cervical Cancer Foundation seeks to increase the abilities of healthcare providers and resources in diagnosing, managing, and treating cervical diseases. The foundation also works to increase capacity by offering specialized training in HPV-related diseases. This includes (1) collaborating with non-profit organizations to lobby legislative stakeholders to increase support for HPV vaccination and secondary cervical cancer prevention (2) training health educators to use the With Love We Learn Program to educate the community on the importance of Pap or HPV screening tests and the vaccine (3) providing cervical cancer prevention strategies within these rural areas.
The With Love We Learn Program has been sponsored by the American Cancer Society’s South Atlantic Division. We hope to use the model to train health educators in rural areas in the US with high rates of cervical cancer.
Cervical Cancer Foundation has prioritized primary HPV testing using self-collection at home or in the clinic as a screening modality for rural areas in the US to increase the identification of women at risk for cervical cancer and the use of digital colposcopy or traditional colposcopy as diagnostic procedures to identify abnormal cells requiring treatment. Cervical Cancer Foundation has provided diagnostic and treatment tools to non-profit collaborators in these areas to facilitate detection of abnormal cells that can lead to cancer. Become one of our partners by supporting us through funds or joining us on our rural America outreach opportunities to teach and assist with providing cervical cancer prevention strategies to reach the WHO goal of cervical cancer elimination as a public health issue by 2030.
