WHEREAS, Cervical Health Awareness Month is recognized each January and provides an opportunity to inform Nevadans how preventable cervical cancer can be and that it can be effectively treated when caught in the early stages; and

WHEREAS, in 2021, it is estimated that more than 14,000 individuals were diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States; and

WHEREAS, both men and women can be carriers of human papillomavirus, or HPV, which causes cervical cancer; and

WHEREAS, through vaccination and regular screenings such as the Pap test, cervical cancer can be prevented or detected early; and

WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all preteens age 11 and 12 receive the HPV vaccine; and

WHEREAS, since 2017 the Nevada State Legislature has provided funding for the Women's Health Connection Program to provide breast and cervical cancer screenings to women in Nevada; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nevada encourages Nevadans to be screened regularly for cervical cancer so it can be caught and treated early, and to seek vaccination to provide a safe, effective protection against the HPV infection that causes cervical cancer;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, STEVE SISOLAK, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim the month of January 2022, as

CERVICAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH IN NEVADA