Hologic Taps WNBA Star For Cervical Cancer Screening Campaign 02/12/2026

A Cervical Cancer Awareness Month campaign from over 30 women’s health
brands led by Teal Health wasn’t the only such effort launched during January.

Another came out of medtech firm Hologic, which enlisted WNBA star Erica Wheeler, whose mother died of the
disease, for “Ultimate Defense,” a campaign emphasizing the importance of women using both Pap tests and HPV tests for the best cervical cancer prevention. 

“Ultimate
Defense” features a PSA running on digital channels and social media, “with paid amplification to
targeted audiences, online video, and TV streaming services,”  Hologic Vice President of Marketing Michelle “MJ” Janisch tells Marketing Daily. “Additional digital
advertising channels will roll out in the coming weeks to extend reach and awareness.”

Other elements of the campaign include a dedicated campaign hub and social media posts from both Wheeler and Hologic.

“Erica’s story is very personal,” says Janisch, allowing her “to credibly connect with
women and communicate the importance of cervical cancer screening in a way that felt human and motivational.”

“Using the language of sports and competition to make screening feel
approachable and actionable,”  “Ultimate Defense” is “designed to spark a simple next step: talk with a doctor and get screened. We know that cervical cancer is
preventable through regular screenings with your doctor. In fact, studies show that 95% of cervical cancers were detected with Pap and HPV testing together. We’re doing our part to ensure every
woman hears that message.”

Separately from the awareness campaign, Hologic offers both Pap and HPV testing products to doctors.

Teal, meanwhile, offers the first FDA-approved
home testing product directly to consumers, and the separate awareness campaign that it led, placed some emphasis on the new ability for women to self-test.

While Janisch wouldn’t reveal if
Hologic was invited to participate in that other awareness campaign, she says that “we support the shared goal of making sure women know cervical cancer is preventable through regular
screening.”

The FDA’s approval of at-home screening, meanwhile, has led to “increased conversation around cervical cancer screening,” she says, helping to “bring
more attention to the fact that screening saves lives.”

Previous Hologic awareness campaigns for cervical cancer screenings have included 2021’s  “Cerving
Confidence” in partnership with the Black Women’s Health Imperative and musical artist Ciara.

Hologic also made waves with a broader preventative health message espoused by
hip-hop star Mary J. Blige in a 2022 Super Bowl commercial.