Press Releases
Year
Local Grade School Children Take a Stand Against Tobacco Use and Win Anti-Tobacco Poster Contest
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2009
Contact
Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-2916
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Local Grade School Children Take a Stand Against Tobacco Use and Win Anti-Tobacco Poster Contest
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District REALITY Illinois Program Announces Winners of Annual Contest
Champaign, IL – Local grade school children received prizes for the winning entries in the 2009 REALITY Illinois poster contest. Awards for students grades Kindergarten – Fifth were chosen from 200 entries by REALITY Illinois students at JW Eater High School on April 6th. All entries were on display at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) for the Kick Butts Day Health Fair on March 28, 2009.
Champaign-Urbana grade school children recently participated in an annual anti-tobacco workshop provided by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD). Sponsored by Reality Illinois, this workshop is designed to educate children on the dangers of tobacco use, and provide them with the tools necessary to make the best possible decisions in the future regarding tobacco use. At the end of the workshop, participants were encouraged to create posters that best represented their thoughts on tobacco use, and the messages that they would like their peers to know when considering the use of tobacco products.
“Over 60,000 children in Illinois under the age of 18 become new daily tobacco users each year,” said Trisha Gillespie, Health Educator for CUPHD, “It is estimated that one third of those will become regular tobacco users as adults, and suffer health problems related to tobacco use in the future. It is imperative that young children are presented with tobacco information before they are tempted to try a tobacco product.”
Winners of the REALITY Illinois 2009 Poster Contest are:
KINDERGARTEN – SECOND GRADE -
- 1st Place: Will Delaney, 1st Grade, Fisher Elementary, $100 worth of gift cards & their poster on a t-shirt for their entire class.
- 2nd Place: Kiley Chancelor, 2nd Grade, Unity West, $50 worth of gift cards
- 3rd Place: Sandy Howe, 2nd Grade, Ludlow Grade School, $25 in gift cards
THIRD GRADE – FIFTH GRADE -
- 1st Place: Gavin Schrader, 5th Grade, Dr. Howard Elementary, $100 worth of gift cards & their poster on a t-shirt for their entire class.
- 2nd Place: Jack McDonald, 4th Grade, Carrie Busey Elementary, $50 worth of gift cards
- 3rd Place: Sophia Wallis, 5th Grade, Dr. Howard Elementary, $25 in gift cards
REALITY Illinois is an anti-tobacco movement created by and for Illinois teens. With help from the Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments, REALITY Illinois encourages teens to take a stand against tobacco by educating their peers and communities about the adverse health effects and deceptive marketing practices of tobacco companies. The teens also work to make their communities tobacco-free and communicate with decision makers on issues related to tobacco prevention and control.
The REALITY Illinois program was launched in the summer of 2002. Local chapters form a teen advisory panel to plan activities and events that range from conducting peerto-peer tobacco prevention education to membership recruitment and advocacy projects.
For more information about the REALITY Illinois program at CUPHD or other CUPHD programs and services, please call 217-352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.cuphd.org.
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Young Women are Invited to Take a Shot Against Cervical Cancer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2009
Contact
Candi Crause, Director
(217) 531-5372 /
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Young Women are Invited to Take a Shot Against Cervical Cancer
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Now Offers HPV Vaccines
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) now offers Genital Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for women ages 18-26 during weekly STD clinics. These clinics, located at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign, are held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 5:00pm and Thursdays from 9:00-11:00am and 1:00pm – 3:00pm. HPV shots are given in a series of three injections over a six-month period and have been proven to be highly effective in preventing four types of HPV in young women who have not been previously exposed to HPV. CUPHD accepts Medicaid / IPA, Visa/MC, or cash for services, and will not turn anyone away for inability to pay.
“The HPV vaccine has proven very effective against the genital human papillomavirus,” said Candi Crause, Director of Infectious Disease for CUPHD, “Most people infected with HPV do not show any symptoms, making it easy to transmit the virus to others through sexual activity. HPV infection can lead to a series of health-related issues including cervical cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women.”
Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. Most sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never even know it. It is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s. Ideally, the vaccine should be administrated prior to onset of sexually activity, but studies have shown that sexually active women gain some benefit from vaccination. The vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women.
HPV vaccination is important since HPV has been directly linked to cervical cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 12, 000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 4,000 women die from this disease in the United States. HPV is also associated with several less common types of cancer in both men and women. It can also cause genital warts and warts in the upper respiratory tract.
The HPV vaccine has been licensed by the FDA and approved by the CDC as safe and effective. Studies have found no serious side effects. The most common side effect is soreness in the arm where the shot was given. There have recently been some reports of fainting in teens after they got the vaccine, so it is recommended that patients wait in their health care provider’s office for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine.
The only sure way to prevent HPV is to abstain from all sexual activity. For those who are sexually active, condoms may lower chances of getting HPV, if used all the time and correctly. Condoms may also lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases such as genital warts, but HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom – so condoms may not fully protect against HPV.
For more information about HPV vaccinations, STD clinics, or any other CUPHD programs and services, please call 217-352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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Why The World Should Ask “Am I Number 12?”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2009
Contact
Penny Shonkwiler, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-5371
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Why The World Should Ask “Am I Number 12?”
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Honors World Hepatitis Day 2009
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) joins the World Hepatitis Alliance and over 200 patient groups in honoring World Hepatitis Day 2009 by requesting that local residents ask themselves “Am I Number 12?” This marketing campaign was designed to increase awareness of the shocking statistic that one in twelve people in the world are living with hepatitis B or hepatitis C and the majority of those infected are unaware. Hepatitis is a serious disease which, left untreated, can lead to liver scarring (cirrhosis) and potentially to liver cancer, liver failure and death. Hepatitis is the cause of death for over one million people in the world annually.
Hepatitis, which means “liver inflammation”, is often caused by a virus. Of the five completely different viruses that cause hepatitis, B & C are the only two that can become chronic, causing long-term illness. Hepatitis is acute when it lasts less than six months and chronic when it persists longer. It is estimated that more than 500 million people around the world are currently infected with hepatitis B or C and one in three people have been exposed to one or both viruses.
“Hepatitis is a silent killer,” said Penny Shonkwiler, Program Coordinator for CUPHD, “People can live with the virus for many years without knowing they are infected, but can still spread the virus to others. Many types of hepatitis are preventable through vaccines and avoiding contact with the blood of infected people. Those interested in learning more about hepatitis preventative measures should speak to their health care provider.”
The two most concerning strains of hepatitis are B & C. The hepatitis B virus is spread through direct contact with infected blood and sexual fluids. Hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination or treated with antiviral medications. The hepatitis C virus is spread through direct contact with infected blood. There is currently no vaccine against hepatitis C and antiviral medications have been shown to be only effective in over half of those diagnosed with the disease. Currently, hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. Many people do not have symptoms if they contract hepatitis B or C, although they can still transmit the disease to others.
The most common routes of infection are:
- Blood transfusions before 1992
- Medical or dental interventions in countries where equipment is not adequately sterilized
- Mother to infant during childbirth
- Sexual transmission (in the case of hepatitis B)
- Sharing equipment for injecting drugs
- Sharing straws, notes etc. for snorting cocaine
- Sharing razors, toothbrushes or other household articles
- Tattooing and body piercing if done using unsterile equipment
Currently the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District provides services for hepatitis through the Hepatitis Integration Project. This project assesses risk factors for viral hepatitis among all CUPHD clients and performs appropriate testing for HCV infection. The Hepatitis Integration Project provides a client-centered viral hepatitis prevention counseling and support group, and provides Hepatitis A & B immunizations to persons in appropriate risk groups.
For more information about the World Hepatitis Day 2009, the Hepatitis Integration Project, or any other CUPHD programs and services, please call 217-352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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