By Nadia Surry
February is National Minority Health Month—a time to bring attention to a disease that should no longer be taking lives, yet continues to do so, especially those of black women in Black and rural communities. In Georgia, Black women are nearly one and a half times more likely to die from cervical cancer than white women. This is not because cervical cancer is inevitable. In fact, it is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when people have access to the HPV vaccine, routine screening, and timely follow-up care. What puts lives at risk is not biology—it is barriers created by policy, systems, and inequality.
Before becoming a Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative (SRBWI) Cervical Cancer Ambassador, I did not know how common HPV is or that it is the leading cause of cervical cancer. I also did not realize that cervical cancer is largely preventable with early vaccination and regular screening—tools that so many women still cannot easily access.
Research conducted by SRBWI, in collaboration with Human Rights Watch, shows that many women in Georgia face serious obstacles to cervical cancer prevention and treatment. SRBWI’s research across Georgia, Alabama, and the Mississippi Delta reveals a regional crisis affecting rural Black Belt and Delta communities—areas with high young people. Large parts of Georgia, especially rural counties, lack adequate gynecologic care. Nearly half of the state’s counties do not have an OB-GYN. As a result, many women must travel long distances, take unpaid time off work, or delay care altogether because they cannot afford it. These challenges are compounded by Georgia’s refusal to expand Medicaid, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without affordable health insurance.
At the same time, too many women lack basic information about HPV and cervical cancer prevention. About one-third of women interviewed in SRBWI’s research had never heard of the HPV vaccine. Vaccination rates in Georgia remain below the national average, despite the vaccine being a proven tool for preventing multiple cancers. Through my ambassador training, I learned that over 80 percent of people will get HPV at some point in their lives and that the vaccine is most effective when given between the ages of 11 and 12—though it is still recommended for women up to age 45. For students and young people, this information matters because early prevention can shape health outcomes for decades.
This is not just a healthcare issue—it is an issue of equity, dignity, and human rights. No one should be more likely to die from a preventable cancer because of their race, income, or ZIP code. For students in rural Black Belt communities and the Mississippi Delta, this often means navigating healthcare systems that were never designed with their needs in mind, while balancing school, work, and family responsibilities.
Georgia needs a comprehensive Rights and Respect Plan—one that guarantees access to cervical cancer prevention and care for every woman. That means expanding Medicaid, investing in rural healthcare and transportation, increasing HPV education and vaccination, and ensuring that sexual health education is medically accurate and accessible. It also means listening to women who have been dismissed, ignored, or pushed out of care, and addressing the medical bias that undermines trust in the healthcare system.
I wanted to become a Cervical Cancer Ambassador because I saw how little my peers—including myself—knew about HPV and cervical cancer. In my outreach, I talk with other students, share information, and quickly realize how many people have the same questions and misconceptions I once had. Those conversations reinforce how powerful education can be when it is accessible, honest, and community-centered.
College students and young people have a critical role to play. Knowing that HPV is common, that the vaccine prevents multiple cancers, and that vaccination is available through campus health centers, health departments, pharmacies, and community clinics can make the difference between prevention and crisis. Access to clear, practical information empowers students to protect their health and advocate for their communities.
We all have a role to play. Talk openly about cervical cancer with friends and family. Encourage HPV vaccination and regular screening. Support policies that expand healthcare access and education in underserved communities. When communities speak up and act together, lives are saved.
Cervical cancer should never be a death sentence. It certainly should not be more deadly because you are Black or because you live in a rural part of Georgia—or anywhere in the Black Belt or Mississippi Delta. Awareness months matter—but action matters more.
We have the tools to prevent these deaths. What we need now is the will to use them.
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Surry is a Freshman at Middle Georgia State University and a Cervical Cancer Ambassador at the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative (SRBWI).
