Ciara partners with ‘Cerving Confidence’ cervical cancer screenings campaign for Black women’s health
Exclusive: Ciara tells theGrio "I want to be able to be here to witness all the special moments in my kids lives, just to be honest. So, I'm on top of my health in a way like never before.”
Ciara oozes confidence and is now using that as a rallying cry for Black women and their health.
The Grammy award-winning singer is partnering with The Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) and Project Health Equality to promote cervical cancer screenings for Black women, who are two times more likely to die from the disease. Furthermore, a delay in testing can often lead to an advanced stage of cervical cancer.
The #CervingConfidence campaign launched Tuesday and encourages Black women to schedule a well-woman exam, including getting screened for cervical cancer with Pap and HPV testing.
#CervingConfidence also wants Black women to not only be intentional about their own health but to be the keeper of the next sister.
“Someone that I knew had cervical cancer and basically overcame it. It’s just also educating myself on the disparities, especially in the Black community, which this campaign is really about,” Ciara exclusively tells theGrio. “I want to use my platform to get this message out.”
Cici recalls being younger and having been intimidated to get her own well-woman exam.
“I don’t know whether it’s something psychologically about when we have to do our well-woman exam. It’s like ugh. I don’t know what it is. And it’s so simple because if you go get it done, it’s done.”
Dr. Jessica Shepherd, an OB/GYN and women’s health expert and also the founder of Her Viewpoint, is hopeful that Ciara’s participation in this campaign will help to challenge stigmas associated with cervical cancer and that cervical cancer only impacts older women.
“An issue with the cervix sometimes may portray that someone did something wrong,” she explains to theGrio. “If you have something that comes up and that can affect you at an earlier age, usually fear and anxiety comes first.”
“But two, it’s what did I do wrong? [It’s not necessarily anything that anyone did wrong. It’s what we know from a cervical cancer perspective, the rates at which. [and] the ages which women get cervical cancer. [It’s] much earlier than what you would see with like ovarian cancer or uterine cancer. So, it’s something that we have to pay attention to.”
Ciara is hoping that conversations can be fostered around this disease.
“In this campaign, we talk about hashtag #CervingConfidence, like let’s get the hashtag going and encourage our Black sisters to get out there and take care of ourselves,” Ciara declares.
“We have everything going on. We got all the sauce, we got a lot of soul. We got all this soul and flavor. There are just so many things about us that makes us radiate joy and radiate in general. So, let’s stay on top of this.”
Ciara’s children are also another important reason why she has committed to this campaign. Ciara and her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, share Sienna, 4, and Win Harrison, 10 months. They are also raising her 7-year-old son, Future, from a previous relationship.
“Just knowing how important it is to me for me to pave a way for my daughter, my daughter’s daughter and so many young girls around the world,” she declares. “I want to be able to be here to witness all the special moments in my kids lives, just to be honest. So I’m on top of my health in a way like never before.”
Ciara credits her doctor for making her feel comfortable during her wellness exams.
“I look forward to actually making sure everything is good so that’s what’s exciting about this campaign, talking about serving confidence, like, there is a feeling you have when you know, you’re good. Then also knowing, ‘hey, if you do this, go to that moment where something’s not right, at least you’re able to get on top of it.’”
One of the aspects of the #CervingConfidence campaign is the assertion that women are bosses. Ciara excels as one, thriving as a wife, mother, entertainer, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Where does she find the time?
“I ain’t got no time for me no more,” she jokes.
Ciara proceeds to call her life “organized chaos” in how she strikes a balance and the desire to leave a lasting impression.
“I am a woman of ambition on a mission and that I have some assignments that I’ve set out for myself that I need to get done. I think for me, that’s a part of my own self-care. I really say self-care is the best care. Being able to know that I’m checking the box of things that fulfill me is really important to me,” she says.
“I also make sure that family comes first for me, that I am also doing the things that feed my soul and allow me to be my joyful self and allow me to be my best self in my house. It allows me to really thrive by knowing that I’m doing things that I love that make me happy. My ultimate goal is to create a legacy for my family along with my husband, to create a legacy for our kids.”
The attentive and loving parents also make time for themselves. Ciara shares that Wilson set aside Fridays as their date nights.
“It’s something that we look forward to. You know, it’s like the end of the day, if a day is long –it’s something to look forward to because you’re like, ‘OK, we’re committing to this time.’ Sometimes work does go over a little longer. But at least we know, we are dedicating time for us and we really stick to it as best as we can.”
For more information about the #CervingConfidence campaign, visit their official website.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
More About:Health
You Might Like
