Be Brave

“Be Brave” – a 60-second TV public service announcement (PSA) – was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in support of the Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer campaign. The campaign raises awareness of the five main types of gynecologic cancer: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. It encourages women to pay attention to their bodies and know what is normal for them, so they can recognize the warning signs of gynecologic cancers and seek medical care. The campaign's primary target audience is women ages 40-60.

In this PSA, gynecologic cancer survivor Jenny Allen, a mother, writer and performer urges women to see a doctor if they have certain symptoms that last two weeks or longer. She tells a moving personal story about noticing symptoms, being diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer, and getting treatment. She urges women, "Be brave. Ask questions."

The CDC's approach to “Be Brave” is rooted in findings from formative research conducted in 2009. The CDC research team conducted this research with women in 7 cities across the United States. In 48 focus groups with 408 women aged 40-60, the CDC explored knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to gynecologic cancer and tested creative approaches to ensure effectiveness of campaign materials. This research demonstrated that creative approaches using testimonials, woman-to-woman communication, and featuring women of diverse racial and ethnic groups were most appealing to the campaign's target audience. Accordingly, “Be Brave” is a compelling testimonial from a ‘real' gynecologic cancer survivor, and includes straightforward information about the symptoms associated with gynecologic cancer.

“Be Brave” is available in 30- and 60-second lengths, and in English and Spanish. The 60-second PSA is available at http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/GYN_BeBrave60/index.html.