HEALTHINATION JOINS FORCES WITH ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR DEBBIE HALVORSON TO RAISE HPV AND CERVICAL CANCER AWARENESS
New alliance combines easy-to-understand, interactive videos and personal health experiences to help educate young girls and women on HPV and Cervical Cancer
New York, NY - 09/17/2007
HealthiNation, an emerging on-demand health network, today announced that it has joined forces with Illinois State Senator and Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson (D- Crete) in the fight against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer.
HPV infects nearly 20 million people (ages 15-49), with 6.2 million new cases annually in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. HealthiNation has introduced a new video about Senator Halvorson’s personal struggle with HPV to increase HPV awareness and education among young girls and women.
Diagnosed as high risk for cervical cancer due to HPV, Senator Halvorson was initially reluctant to speak about her experience because of the sexual stigma associated with it. But after educating herself on the facts of HPV, she realized that she could make a difference in helping young women to protect themselves through education and awareness.
“When I was diagnosed as being high risk for cervical cancer because of HPV, it was one of the most difficult times in my life. I was fortunate enough to have friends, family, and a lot of support but it was still very challenging.” Senator Halvorson added, “I can only imagine how stressful this diagnoses could be for young women with limited access to healthcare. We have to make information about HPV and cervical cancer as well as screening procedures more widely available, and give girls access to a vaccine that could help save their lives.”
Senator Halvorson has since worked tirelessly to establish Senate Bill 937 that would require the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to develop a program enabling women to receive HPV vaccinations. The Senate Bill passed overwhelmingly through both chambers and has been signed by the Governor Rod Blagojevich. While it can be considered controversial, currently more than 40 state governments have proposed legislation to mandate HPV vaccines in girls and young women.
“I am very pleased to partner with HealthiNation in our fight to bring additional awareness to the public by giving them the information they need to help protect themselves from HPV and the spread of cervical cancer,” said Senator Halvorson.
Raj Amin, HealthiNation CEO, believes that the partnership with Senator Halvorson will help women learn more about HPV, while also empowering them to take a more proactive role in their overall health.
"HealthiNation was formed to drive awareness for health issues in a consumer-friendly way, and we're excited to help raise the profile of HPV because it is a significant health concern. Our partnership with Senator Halvorson, along with her incredible story, removes the negative stigma associated with HPV and inspires our viewers to take action," said Amin.
Created to address consumers’ need for easy-to-understand health content, HealthiNation’s high-quality programs cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from life-threatening to everyday illnesses such as the common cold. HealthiNation viewers are delivered straight-talking information, inspirational true-life stories and 3-D bio animations. HealthiNation videos are produced independently and reviewed by the company’s medical advisory team, which include respected physicians from various fields of medicine.
The Senator Halvorson’s Video can be seen on the HealthiNation Web site here: http://www.healthination.com/hpvstory.php
ABOUT HEALTHINATION
HealthiNation is a new multi-platform health education network created to address consumers’ need for accurate, leading edge, easy-to-understand health information that enables viewers to take control of their health in real ways. HealthiNation content, which is designed specifically for interactive media, leverages exciting new digital technologies, such as video-on-demand (VOD) and streaming video on the Internet so consumers can view innovative segments when and where they want them. All content is developed by experienced health care professionals in their respective medical fields. For more information on HealthiNation, please visit www.healthination.com.
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Contact:
Dacrie Brooks
Cohn & Wolfe for HealthiNation
(212) 798-9804
