I am chopping my bum length locks off for Cervical Cancer Awareness! In school (Graduating class of 2010 Represent!), I was one of the first years to be introduced to the Cervical cancer vaccine. Sadly enough following the path of my mother and many other women/girls/ any persons who are attached to a cervix, two years ago (though I count my blessings every day that it never progressed) I was diagnosed with an increasingly common abnormality known as a 'Low Grade Intraepithelial Lesion' that my doctor assured me was nothing to be alarmed of but can be a sign of the earliest changes which may progress into Cervical Cancer if left untreated or undetected. The vaccine currently available helps prevent against the four most common types of the human Pappilomavirus that can cause Cervical Cancer, but there are quite a few more high risk strains for which currently we do not yet have access to a vaccine. Every six months I went in for another Pap smear to hear the distressing news that it hadn't slowed down or gone away as generally the human body rids itself within two years, but it hadn't progressed either. Thankfully for me my last scan was in the clear, but this is not the case for many many women every year. With increasing awareness and research toward sexual and reproductive health, the very research which has resulted in the potentially life saving vaccines we have the privilege of accessing and organisiations such as the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation ( https://accf.org.au ) we are on a fantastic pathway to raise awareness and hopefully one day eliminate this threat to everyone with a cervix in our society. Please donate to help our mission! "In 2016, it is estimated that 903 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in Australia. In 2012, the age-standardised incidence rate was 7.4 cases per 100,000 females. In 2016, it is estimated that the age-standardised incidence rate will be 7.0 cases per 100,000 females"