Beauty salons across Wisconsin are playing an important role in the fight against cervical cancer.
Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and former Wisconsin First Lady Sue Ann Thompson are visiting several salons and spas as part of a statewide effort to raise awareness of cervical cancer and the virus that causes it, HPV.
Lawton says salons are the hub of information for many women and a good way to share information with them about prevention and early screening. Thompson says it's important to get the message out to as many women as possible, because cervical cancer rates have been climbing and the HPV vaccine offers women the hope of preventing it.
HPV, the Human Papiloma Virus, is the cause of cervical cancer. A vaccine currently on the market helps prevent the strains of HPV most often linked to cancer cases. The Lt. Governor says part of their tour is about encouraging women to have their teenage daughters vaccinated, which can greatly reduce their risk of every contracting the virus.