Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer

The goal of the Inside Knowledge campaign is to increase women’s knowledge about the five major gynecologic cancers. The main objectives of this campaign are: 1) to provide information about the five major gynecologic cancers (ovarian, cervical, uterine, vulvar, and vaginal), 2) to disseminate materials that convey the key message that treatment is most effective when cancers are found early, and 3) to educate healthcare providers and women about the signs and symptoms of gynecologic cancers, risk factors for these cancers, prevention strategies, and available screening tests.

This campaign is disseminated using fact sheets, a symptoms diary, a brochure on the five most common gynecologic cancers, and radio and television public service announcements. Together, these dissemination methods convey the following messages: 1) there are several types of gynecologic cancer, 2) treatment is most effective when these cancers are found early, 3) women should know their bodies and know what is normal for them because gynecologic cancers do have warning signs, 4) see a doctor for unexplained signs or symptoms that last over two weeks, and 5) a regular Pap test is an important cervical cancer screening tool. These messages were developed by reviewing existing gynecologic cancer educational materials and conducting extensive formative research with focus groups.

The goal of the Inside Knowledge campaign is to increase knowledge and awareness about the signs and symptoms of the five major gynecologic cancers.

As Inside Knowledge has just recently been launched, results data are not currently available. After implementation of the media campaign, focus groups will be conducted to assess the behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge of target audiences in relation to the campaign’s main messages. The results of these focus groups will be used to refine campaign messages and introduce additional strategies.