Health Promotion in Cervical Cancer
A literature review

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide (WHO, 2010a). The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that about 12,200 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and 4,120 women will die of the disease (ACS, 2010). Cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), but has an almost 100% survival rate if caught early enough. Although national incidence rates have declined, there are still a disproportionate number of cases amongst African-American and Hispanic women. In the United States, various health organizations are attempting to deal with the cultural barriers to the prevention, early detection, and treatment of cervical cancer. Three journal articles were reviewed to examine current nursing strategies for health promotion as related to cervical cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health promotion as “the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health” (Ottawa charter for health promotion, as cited in WHO, 2010b). Health promotion strategies focus on eliciting lifestyle changes and promoting positive personal choices among individuals, families, and communities. Health promotion is a key element of primary prevention of disease (Leavell & Clark, as cited in Edelman & Mandel, 2010).
Guardasil (Merck & Co., Inc.), the HPV vaccination, is the primary preventative tool that can decrease the incidence of cervical cancer. In their article “Hip hop, health, and HPV: Using wireless technology to increase HPV vaccination uptake”, Thomas, Stephens, and Blanchard (2010) explore the unique approach of using cell phones and Hip Hop music to educate African-American female college students about the HPV vaccine. They state that “prior research has shown that Hip Hop