Ciara Cerving Confidence for Black Women

“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.


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.


Ciara has helped launched the #CervingConfidence Campaign aimed at getting Black women to schedule cervical cancer screenings (Credit: Madison Morse)


#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.”