UW-Madison Part of Consortium Addressing Cervical Cancer in Hmong Women

Madison, Wisconsin - There is no word for cancer in the Hmong language, nor even the concept of the disease. But Hmong women living in Wisconsin are dying of cervical cancer at alarming rates.

To address this serious concern, the Consortium for Hmong Health, a community-academic partnership involving the University of Wisconsin-Madison Collaborative Center for Health Equity, has invited 30 Hmong women from the Milwaukee area to a cervical cancer awareness luncheon.

It will take place on Saturday, March 27, at the YMCA Northside Branch, 1350 W. North Ave., Milwaukee. Each woman has been asked to bring a friend.

The Consortium's long-term goal is to develop culturally-relevant messages about the importance of cancer screening. The group relies on Hmong women to interact with other women in the community and teach them about cervical cancer and the fact that it can be effectively treated if it's identified early enough.

The 60 women will hear from a panel consisting of professionals and lay people. Dao M. Fang, a guest speaker from the Hmong Women's Heritage Association in Sacramento, will also talk about successful screening activities under way in that California city.

The program will be a dialogue covering topics such as cultural understandings about women's health, locations where clinical screenings are available, Pap smears and screening processes.

The free event is sponsored in part by the Wisconsin Well Woman Program. The Consortium stems from a Wisconsin Partnership Program planning grant awarded in 2007.

Member organizations in the Consortium for Hmong Health include:

• American Cancer Society
• City of Milwaukee Health Department
• Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division of Public Health
• Hmong American Women's Association
• House of Peace Community Center
• Lee Medical Clinic
• Moua Consulting Group, LLC
• Next Door Foundation
• UW-Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research's Collaborative Center for Health Equity
• UW-Milwaukee House of Peace Community Nursing Center
• Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services