Governor Stein Proclaims Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

2026

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, more than 428 women in North Carolina can expect to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 135 likely will die from this disease in 2025; and

Whereas, Hispanic women have the highest rates of developing cervical cancer, and Black women have the highest rates of dying from cervical cancer; and

Whereas, research indicates that social and economic conditions – such as income, educational attainment, access to health care, and chronic stress – are associated with differences in health outcomes across population groups, underscoring the importance of early screening and detection for all individuals;

Whereas, the North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (NC BCCCP) in the NC Department of Health and Human Services provides free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings and follow-up to eligible uninsured or underinsured women; and

Whereas, regular cervical cancer screening tests are an effective way to detect the disease early, allowing for early diagnosis and treatment that significantly increase a woman’s chance of survival; and

Whereas, increased awareness of prevention and detection techniques among patients and health care providers is a key component in safe-guarding cervical health; with HPV vaccination, as well as routine screening and follow-up, cervical cancer is highly preventable; and

Whereas, the State of North Carolina recognizes Cervical Cancer Awareness and encourages all citizens to recognize that cervical cancer is treatable and that routine screening and HPV vaccinations can save lives;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim January 2026 as “Cervical Cancer Awareness Month” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all residents.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this seventeenth day of December in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-sixth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.