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With gynecological cancer rates in the county continuing to rise, the LaFayette City Council approved a proclamation to spread awareness by “painting the town teal” during Monday’s council meeting. 

Linda Parker, an oncology nurse, is a member of Teal Magnolias. The organization advocates 

for gynecological cancer awareness and prevention. Parker requested that the city council permit the organization to put up teal-colored cancer ribbons around LaFayette to raise awareness.

Teal is the color worn to raise awareness for gynecological cancers. 

According to Parker, more than 106,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with gynecological cancer in 2023. More than 32,000 will die from it. 

Parker said in Alabama, Chambers County has the highest number of gynecological cancers. 

“That just is appalling to me,” Parker said. 

Earlier this year, Chambers County School District partnered on the Operation Wipe Out project with Together for Health and the project’s other core partners — the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Rotary Clubs of Birmingham and of LaFayette, and the Alabama Department of Public Health. The project focuses on the elimination of cervical cancer by bringing awareness to HPV prevention in rural communities that have high rates of cervical cancer.

Recently, the Chambers County school District participated in a documentary for Operation Wipe Out. 

Teal Magnolia’s goal is to bring awareness of the symptoms of and prevention methods for gynecological cancers, such as ovarian cancer. 

“The only way to do that is early detection,” Parker said. “It doesn’t have to be fatal if we can detect it early.”

Some of the early symptoms of ovarian cancer can include pelvic or abdominal pain, feeling full quickly and feeling bloated. Other symptoms may be incorrectly attributed to other issues, such as feeling the need to urinate often, trouble eating, back pain, upset stomach, fatigue, constipation or menstrual changes and pain during sex.