South Florida Congressional Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz recently issued a statement to raise awareness about cervical health, with this January being recognized as National Cervical Awareness Month.

The Congresswoman said in her effort to raise awareness about the dangers of cervical cancer she met with medical professionals, cancer advocates and cancer survivors at the Broward County Health Department to discussed the importance of early detection, the availability of free screenings and what all women should know about the risks of cervical cancer and related diseases.

Each year more than 12,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and a third of them will die from it. That's why cutting-edge facilities like the one at the Broward County Health Department are crucial in the effort to increase early detection and treatment. They offer free screening exams for breast and cervical cancers, as well as treatment to women who need it.

Like most cancers, cervical cancer is best treated if caught early – so this month is the perfect time to remind the women in your lives to get their annual pap tests. They are fast, simple, and widely available – and now there's really no excuse not to get one. Last August, President Obama announced that as part of the Affordable Care Act, women can access preventive care without a co-pay or cost-sharing. This includes pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies, yearly well-woman visits and contraceptive products. In addition, insurance companies are now banned from denying care based on "pre-existing conditions" which used to include cervical cancer, breast cancer, pregnancy, having had a C-section, or having been a victim of domestic violence.

Wasserman Schultz, a breast cancer survivor herself, said she knows how important prevention and early detection is. It can literally mean the difference between life and death. She said she is committed to making sure that her constituents have all the information and resources they need to keep themselves healthy, and will continue to work hard to ensure that Congress does its part in the fight against cancer.

The congresswoman said America has come a long way in the last few decades pertaining to women's rights - from Roe v. Wade protecting a woman's right to make educated medical decisions regarding their reproductive health to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act guaranteeing women equal pay for equal work. And, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women now have the right to healthcare coverage without their gender being considered a "pre-existing condition." She says "We must do our part to continue protecting women's rights and encourage the women in our lives to take care of their health."