This project’s overall goal is to decrease breast and cervical cancer morbidity and mortality for women living in rural and frontier counties. A research-tested intervention program, Friend to Friend, will be implemented with diverse groups of women in forty counties. Women living in rural areas of Texas are less likely than their urban counterparts to have had a mammogram or Papanicolau (Pap) test within the past two years. Mortality is higher for rural women because of later diagnosis. Access to accredited screening is very difficult since more than half of Texas counties are primary care health professional shortage areas. One-half of Texas counties do not have accredited, permanent ma...

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This project’s overall goal is to decrease breast and cervical cancer morbidity and mortality for women living in rural and frontier counties. A research-tested intervention program, Friend to Friend, will be implemented with diverse groups of women in forty counties. Women living in rural areas of Texas are less likely than their urban counterparts to have had a mammogram or Papanicolau (Pap) test within the past two years. Mortality is higher for rural women because of later diagnosis. Access to accredited screening is very difficult since more than half of Texas counties are primary care health professional shortage areas. One-half of Texas counties do not have accredited, permanent mammography facilities.

Forty Texas AgriLife Extension county agents, ten from each of AgriLife’s four regions, have agreed to participate in this project. Thirty-two of the counties are wholly medically underserved or have no designation at all. The remaining eight are partially underserved. Project counties include a wide range of diverse groups, increasing the likelihood Friend to Friend materials will be adapted to meet the needs of women throughout our very diverse state. Agents will be supported by five regional cancer prevention and early detection assistants, already present in San Angelo, Lubbock, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, and Overton. The funding requested for this project will be greatly leveraged by using Extension’s extensive statewide outreach system with 40 skilled community educators.

Outcomes will be measured by counting the number of women falling outside screening guidelines who sign a pledge card and/or make an appointment at the end of the intervention event. Friend to Friend has a high probability of maintenance and continued delivery by county Extension agents after funding has ended. Texas AgriLife Extension, part of the Texas A&M University System, has offices in 250 of Texas 254 counties, each staffed with skilled community educators.

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