January is Cervical Health Awareness Month

The U.S. Congress designated January as Cervical Health Awareness Month. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a group of viruses that infect the skin. There are more than 100 different types of HPV. However, this cancer can almost always be prevented through regular screening and, if needed, treatment of abnormal cell changes.

Approximately 6 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV occur in the U.S. each year, with at least 20 million people estimated to be currently infected. Most people with HPV, though, do not know that they are infected.

Founded in 1996, The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) is a growing coalition of people coping with cervical cancer and HPV related issues.

LifeScience Moment: Dr. Jonas Salk received gold medal from President Dwight Eisenhower, designating him "a benefactor of mankind

On Jan. 27, 1956, Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the Polio vaccine released in 1955, received a special gold medal from President Dwight Eisenhower designating him "a benefactor of mankind."

The polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh and announced on April 12, 1955 exactly 10 years after the death of President Roosevelt, a victim of polio.

In 1957, in an effort to improve upon the killed Salk vaccine, Albert Bruce Sabin began testing a live, oral form of vaccine in which the infectious part of the virus was inactivated (attenuated). This vaccine became available for use in 1963.

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Science Quote

"I know little about nature and hardly anything about men."