The purpose of the proposed program is to develop and implement a comprehensive, multifaceted and culturally-relevant educational program for minority inner city teens aimed at reducing their risk for cervical cancer. To successfully impact on the prevention of cervical neoplasia in this high risk community, young women must be specifically targeted by an educational program which will increase their knowledge about cervical cancer, the associated risk factors, precursors, and benefits of regular screening. The program will reflect a partnership of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Montefiore Medical Center (MMC), the University Hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM), the AECOM Cancer Center, the department's Institute for Women's Health, Genetics and Human Reproduction, and targeted community, high school, and adolescent representatives. About 5000 female adolescents will participate in this educational program over the 5 year project recruited from high schools in the Bronx and from two Adolescent Clinics at MMC and BMHC. The majority of these teens will be hispanic or African Americans. Follow-up data will be collected on about 1000 of the participants. Innovative outreach strategies and incentives will be used to enhance participation. Cervical cancer is an ideal malignancy to target to meet the public educational priorities emphasized by the National Cancer Institute. The multi-factorial etiology includes dietary deficiencies, smoking, young age at first coitus and multiple sexual partners, previous infection with HPV and HSV2, urban resistance, and lower socioeconomic status. Educating these young women about ways they can modify risk factors while developing positive attitudes towards taking responsibility for their bodies should result in a reduction in cervical cancer in these underserved women. It is anticipated that this educational effort will substantially increase the number of teens who: 1) know about cervical cancer, 2) modify some associated risky behaviors and 3) motivate long term cervical screening. This program could ultimately decrease the high incidence and mortality from cervical cancer among low socioeconomic minority women in the Bronx, New York. These efforts could result in a model for inner city communities to promote progress towards the Year 2000 Health Objectives that pertain to adolescent and women's health.
