DeLauro Leads Bipartisan Women’s Caucus in Highlighting Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) yesterday led her colleagues in the Bipartisan Women's Caucus in highlighting September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
"The fight against ovarian cancer is very personal to me," said Chair DeLauro. "I am a more than 30 year survivor of ovarian cancer. My cancer was detected in its earliest stages during an unrelated doctors visit. I consider myself lucky that it was caught and treated early, but so many women are not as fortunate. We must do all we can to raise awareness and increase early detection, which is why I was proud to lead my colleagues in the House Bipartisan Women's Caucus to raise awareness for the risks of this disease."
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This year, nearly 20,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Hard to detect and frequently discovered in advanced stages, this disease is often deadly for many women. Structural barriers inhibit access to quality and affordable health care, and documented disparities in treatment can lead to higher mortality rates for Black women and elderly women in particular.
"As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I am fighting for strong investments in medical research to combat ovarian cancer and programs that raise awareness of ovarian cancer amongst patients and health providers," continued DeLauro. "Moreover, I am fighting to enact policies like paid family and medical leave so that women who must seek treatment are not also forced out of the workplace to do so. There is a powerful role Congress can play in this fight, and I'm proud to have strong partners in this effort in the House."
A 36-year ovarian cancer survivor, Congresswoman DeLauro is the sponsor of Johanna's Law Reauthorization that passed the House in November 2021, as a part of the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act. As Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, DeLauro has ensured continued funding for Johanna's Law, providing $37 million over the last four years.
A variety of gynecologic cancer education and awareness programs and activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are funded through Johanna's Law. These include professional education and training opportunities for medical providers, research studying various topics like disparities in patient outcomes and provider adherence to guidelines, and the Inside Knowledge About Gynecologic Cancer public awareness campaign. Since it was enacted in 2006, Johanna's Law has shone a light on ovarian cancer and educated millions of women across the country, saving lives in the process.