This post is sponsored by Nurx, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
I talk a lot about things I love here on this blog: my family, beauty, fashion, local events and hot spots. Other than my family, most of those are very surface-level things that may make us feel good at the time, but likely aren’t going to change our lives. Today’s post, however, is a bit different. I don’t think I have many guys that read my blog, but fellas, this is your cue to go ahead and close out of here. You’re certainly welcome to read because it shouldn’t be weird or embarrassing, and honestly you should support it, but it’s definitely targeted to women.
Intrigued? Let’s do this. January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, so today, we’re talking about cervical health and how you can help take care of yourself with an at-home HPV screen test. (Told you it was different than my normal posts). But before we get into the test, let me explain to you why I’m talking about this. First of all, yes, this is a sponsored post by Nurx. I thought about it for a while after receiving the invitation to work with them and realized, YES! Yes I will talk about the importance of taking care of yourself and your womanhood. Yes I will put myself out there, as uncomfortable as it may be, and talk to you about swabbing your hoo-ha to make sure you don’t have cancer. This blog is a public space where I share things I love and care about, and I care about you and I care about myself. I also have a daughter and want to raise her to know that it’s okay to talk about uncomfortable issues, and you should always take preventive measures to maintain your health when you can. Just because a topic is awkward or uncomfortable doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be discussed, so here we are. Thanks for sticking around :).
Now, back to Nurx and this at-home test. Most of you, hopefully, are going to see that lady doctor once a year for an annual checkup. But if you’re not for whatever reason, please keep reading this.
Nurx is healthcare company that provides women all over the US access to convenient, affordable and judgement-free healthcare. While Nurx’s services, like the Home HPV Screening Test, are incredibly convenient option for anyone, Nurx is especially focused on reaching women who lack access to traditional healthcare services – whether they don’t live near a medical clinic, can’t afford health care, or don’t have health insurance. Those reasons shouldn’t be an excuse not to care for yourself, but unfortunately they do tend to be. It happens.
Also, HPV is not a dirty word and nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, is the most commonly transmitted STI. Nearly 80 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and 14 million people are newly infected each year. About 80 percent of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some point in their lives, while most are unaware they have the virus. Every year HPV causes nearly 34,000 new cervical cancer diagnoses, but thankfully cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. So ladies, this is why it is so important to get screened!!
So how does it work?
Nurx ships everything you need for the Home HPV Screening Test straight to your door. With just one swab taken in the privacy and convenience of your own home, you will get better insight into your risk for cervical cancer and make better decisions about your health. The test kit will check for 14 strains of HPV that have a higher risk of leading to cervical cancer. After taking the screening test and shipping it back for testing, they will contact you with your results in just a few days. If your results are negative, this means your risk for cervical cancer is very low and do not need additional testing for another three years. If your results are positive, this does not mean you have cervical cancer, but their medical team will work closely with you to help figure out next steps. Bonus: you can also order birth control prescribed & delivered to your home from Nurx too!
How do you take the test?
Download the Nurx app or visit Nurx.com and answer a few questions about your health, and they’ll ship you a kit straight to your door. When you open the kit, you’ll see it includes an extra long q-tip, a plastic tube, a plastic bag, a sticker with a barcode and a prepaid return envelope. You can read all the steps here, but basically you’ll take a swab using the Q-tip, drop it in the tube, place the tube in the bag and mail it back in the prepaid envelope. Once your sample arrives, you’ll get your results from their medical team in just a few days.
Who is it for?
Nurx offers the Home HPV kit for women 25 and over. For women 25-29, it’s a great option to check your risk in between pap smears, although guidelines still recommend getting a pap smear every three years. The test is a great option for:
- Women 30 and over who are not getting a pap smear as often as they should. According to recently updated guidelines, an HPV test is an appropriate replacement for the pap smear.
- Women who are looking for greater convenience with their healthcare (i.e. they find it difficult to make the time to visit the doctor’s office).
- Women who have traditionally lacked easy and affordable access to critical healthcare services like cervical cancer screening or the HPV vaccine (such as women who live in rural areas).
- Women without health insurance. (Nurx offers the kit at a very affordable price.)
How much does it cost?
For those without insurance, they offer the kit for only $69, shipping and processing included. If you have health insurance, in most cases the cost of the kit is covered and you will only need to pay $15 for shipping and processing.
So that’s it! Not too scary, right? Are you going to get tested now? It’s something you should do every year, and every woman should do it. Help me spread the word about how easy and important this is! Thanks for sticking around and reading about how you can take control of your health from home. I promise we’ll be back to the light and easy reading next time!
Order your kit HERE.
