Photos: Despite Widespread Awareness, Most Women Still Don't Feel at Risk for Cervi...( New survey results prompt women's hea...),Health

New survey results prompt women's health expert and celebrity designer to help women better understand how to help protect themselves and their loved ones

NEW YORK, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Although there has been education about human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes cervical cancer, a new survey from the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) found that 89 percent of women still do not think or are not sure that they are at risk for infection with the virus, and 50 percent do not believe or are not sure that their daughters are at risk of getting HPV in the future. It is clear that more education is needed, because an estimated 80 percent of women will get HPV in their lifetime. Most infections will clear on their own. But, for an estimated 30 women a day in the United States who do not clear certain types of HPV, cervical cancer develops.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/merck/36422/

During National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, cancer survivor and maternity fashion designer, Liz Lange, together with GCF are kicking off a campaign to encourage women to talk to their health care professionals about what they can do to help protect themselves, their daughters and the other women in their lives. This campaign is made possible with support from Merck & Co., Inc.

"Like most women, I never thought I would get cervical cancer. I received my regular Pap test, and I was primarily healthy," said Lange. "So, when my health care professional gave me the diagnosis, I was completely shocked." Lange was diagnosed in 2001 at the age of 35.

The GCF survey shows that most (89%) women do not feel they are at risk and half (50%) do not believe their daughters are at risk in the future. It also shows that more than half (57%) of mothers have not had a conv
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