GYNCA

💙 Cervical cancer is one cancer where prevention and screening can make an enormous difference.

Most cervical cancers are associated with persistent infection with certain high-risk types of HPV.

HPV vaccination can help prevent infections that cause most cervical cancers, while routine cervical cancer screening can identify precancerous changes so they can often be treated before they become cancer.

If you're due for cervical cancer screening, make the appointment you've been putting off.

A few uncomfortable minutes are worth protecting your future.

Prevention. Screening. Early detection. They matter.

💎 TEAL TO HEAL: 25 Years of Hope 💎

For 25 years, GYN Cancers Alliance has stood beside women and families right here in Southwest Missouri during some of the hardest moments of their lives. And we couldn’t do it without the businesses, organizations, and individuals who believe in our mission. 🩵

We are looking for sponsors to partner with us for our Teal to Heal event!

When you sponsor GYNCA, your support stays LOCAL. Your generosity helps women in our own communities who are facing gynecologic cancer—our neighbors, friends, coworkers, mothers, daughters, sisters, and loved ones.

✨ Local dollars. Local women. Local impact.

Your sponsorship helps GYNCA continue providing education, support, resources, and hope to women throughout Southwest Missouri.

As we celebrate 25 YEARS, we invite you to become part of the next chapter of GYNCA. Together, we can make sure no woman in our community has to walk her cancer journey alone.

🩵 Become a Teal to Heal Sponsor and make a difference right here at home.

📞 417-869-2220
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.gynca.org/teal-to-heal

Because when our community takes care of its own, hope lives here. 🩵✨

💙 GYNCA WILL BE CLOSED TODAY IN OBSERVANCE OF LABOR DAY 💙

Today, we take a moment to recognize Labor Day and the hardworking people who give so much of themselves each and every day.

At GYN Cancers Alliance, we are especially grateful for the incredible people who make our mission possible — our staff, volunteers, board members, healthcare partners, donors, community supporters, and the many individuals who give their time, talents, resources, and hearts to help women and families affected by gynecologic cancers.

But today, our hearts are especially with the women we serve. 💙

Cancer does not take a holiday.

The appointments, treatments, uncertainty, fear, financial stress, and emotional weight of a cancer journey do not simply disappear because the calendar says it is a day off.

That is why the work we do together matters so deeply.

Every phone call answered, every Symptom Satchel handed out, every support group gathering, every donation made, every mile driven to treatment, every encouraging word, and every act of kindness helps remind someone facing gynecologic cancer that she does not have to walk this journey alone.

Our GYNCA office will be closed today in observance of Labor Day so our team can spend time with their families, rest, and recharge. We will return ready to continue doing what has been at the heart of GYNCA for 25 years — supporting, educating, advocating, and walking beside women and families right here in our local communities.

To everyone who works alongside us, supports our mission, shares our message, volunteers their time, or simply reaches out to someone who needs encouragement — thank you. You are part of this mission, and you are part of the hope we are able to give.

From our GYNCA family to yours, we wish you a safe, peaceful, and meaningful Labor Day. 💙

Rest today. Give thanks. Hold your loved ones close. And remember that together, we are making a difference — one woman, one family, and one community at a time.

🩵 25 Years of Hope. 25 Years of Support. 25 Years of GYNCA. 🩵

💙 Would you recognize the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Common symptoms can include:
• Persistent bloating
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
• Urinary urgency or frequency

Some women may also experience fatigue, back pain, constipation, or menstrual changes.

Having one of these symptoms does not automatically mean you have ovarian cancer. But symptoms that are new for you, persistent, or occurring frequently should not be ignored.

Consider keeping a symptom diary so you can tell your healthcare provider what changed, when it started, and how often it's happening.

Knowing your body isn't being paranoid. It's being proactive. 💙

💙 Today we're talking OVARIAN CANCER.

Ovarian cancer has sometimes been called a “silent killer,” but we want women to understand something important: there CAN be symptoms.

They may be subtle and easily mistaken for common digestive, urinary, or hormonal issues.

That's why knowing what's normal for YOUR body is so important.

If symptoms are new, persistent, or happening more frequently than usual, talk with your healthcare provider.

There is currently no recommended routine screening test for ovarian cancer for average-risk women without symptoms. That makes symptom awareness and understanding your personal and family history especially important.

Listen to your body. 💙

❓ “Is this normal?”

It's a question many of us have quietly asked ourselves.

When it comes to your gynecologic health, there is no embarrassing question.
Changes in bleeding, discharge, bowel or bladder habits, persistent bloating, pelvic pain, v***ar itching or skin changes, or pain during in*******se are all things you can discuss with your healthcare provider.

You don't need to diagnose yourself—and Google doesn't need to diagnose you either. ❤️

You simply need to recognize when something has changed and be willing to say:
“This isn't normal for me, and I'd like to know why.”

Never be embarrassed to advocate for your health.

📚💙 Awareness starts with knowledge—and knowledge is meant to be shared.

You may scroll past one of our posts this month and already know the information.

Share it anyway.

The woman who sees it because you shared it may not know that bleeding after menopause should be evaluated. She may not know persistent bloating can be associated with ovarian cancer. She may not realize that persistent v***ar itching or skin changes deserve medical attention.

One share can start a conversation.

One conversation can lead to an appointment.

One appointment can change a life.

Learn it. Share it. Pass it on.

💙 You live in your body every single day.

Trust yourself when something changes.

Maybe the bloating feels different. Maybe you're going to the bathroom more often. Maybe there's bleeding you can't explain. Maybe you're exhausted, uncomfortable, or simply have a feeling that something isn't right.

Don't convince yourself you're overreacting.

Many symptoms of gynecologic cancers can also be caused by noncancerous conditions—but persistent or unusual changes deserve a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Keep track of your symptoms. Ask questions. And if you still feel something isn't right, keep advocating for yourself.

Your voice matters. Your health matters. YOU matter. 💙

💙 September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month.

This month, we’re turning TEAL and raising our voices for every woman who has heard the words, “You have cancer,” for every family walking beside her, and for every woman who deserves to know the warning signs BEFORE she ever needs us.

Gynecologic cancers include cancers of the o***y, uterus/endometrium, cervix, v***a and va**na. While every cancer is different, one message applies to them all:
Know your body. Pay attention to changes. Speak up when something doesn’t feel right.

Throughout September, GYN Cancers Alliance will share information every day to help our community recognize symptoms, understand risks, and advocate for their health.

Awareness isn't meant to create fear.

It's meant to give women knowledge—and knowledge is power. 💙

💙 TOMORROW WE TURN SEPTEMBER TEAL! 💙

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, and all month long GYN Cancers Alliance will be raising our voices for the women who are fighting, the survivors who inspire us, the loved ones we remember, and every woman who deserves to know the signs and symptoms.

💙 Awareness can start with ONE conversation. Talk about the symptoms. Know what is normal for your body. Encourage the women you love to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.

Throughout September, we’ll be sharing information about ovarian, uterine/endometrial, cervical, v***ar, va**nal, fallopian tube and other gynecologic cancers—because these conversations matter.

Tomorrow is Day 1 of 30. Follow along, share our posts, and help us spread awareness throughout the Ozarks and beyond.

🎗️ KNOW THE SIGNS. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. SPEAK UP.

Together, we can make September TEAL! 💙