What is “Hollywood on the Hill?” “Hollywood on the Hill” was a unique red carpet event in Washington DC hosted by the National Council of Women’s Organization’s Women’s Health Task Force. On January 29, in recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, special guests were invited to walk the red carpet for the premiere screening of a film featuring real women who shared their stories of triumph over cervical cancer. The film featured women and their doctors who reveal how advancements in screening & prevention made a difference in their lives and health. “Hollywood on the Hill” aimed to help empower and educate women about preventing cervical cancer. By encouraging women to better understand their prevention options, the National Council hopes to prepare women for informed discussions with their healthcare providers, and ensure women have access to the most advanced screening and prevention tools available. Why? This year, the American Cancer Society reports that 11,150 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,670 women will die of the disease. With significant attention in the past year paid to the HPV vaccine, awareness has increased about the link between HPV and cervical cancer. Still, more needs to be done. As new technologies and guidelines differ by age, knowing how to best prevent cervical cancer can be confusing. Understanding Advances in Cervical Cancer Prevention New advances in HPV-related prevention and screening can potentially save thousands of women’s lives and reduce suffering for many thousands more women. HPV testing is FDA-approved for use in women aged 30 and older in conjunction with a Pap test. A Pap test alone is 50% to 85% accurate, depending upon the type of Pap used. Adding an HPV test to a Pap test in women aged 30 and older increases to approximately 100% the clinicians’ ability to prevent cervical cancer before it occurs or detect cervical cancer in its early most treatable stages. The HPV vaccine was FDA-approved in 2006 for girls and women aged 9-26 and its recommended by the CDC for routine use in girls ages 11 and 12. The vaccine has been shown to be 100% effective – in women not previously infected with HPV – at preventing cervical disease caused by the HPV types 16 and 18, responsible for approximately 70% of all cervical cancers. Screening remains essential, even as girls and women are vaccinated. Screening with the Pap and HPV tests will help prevent cervical cancer from HPV types not covered by the vaccine, and protect women who have already had HPV infections.