Bon Secours employees at the system’s Health Center at Harbour View donned blue on Friday to raise awareness of colon cancer.

The central message was that colon cancer, which hits one in 20 people during their lifetime, can be prevented through screening.

“It is one of those conditions (that) when you start talking about the lower pelvis, it is not considered to be polite conversation,” Bon Secours spokeswoman Lynne Zultanky said, explaining why such efforts are required.

The general consensus is that folks with no family history of the disease or genetic risk factors should start regular screening at age 50; those falling into one of the two aforementioned categories, however, should start much earlier.

Screening can include an online tool at https://ha.healthawareservices.com/ra/979, test strips or colonoscopy.

“We are trying to get a conversation going right now (about) people getting test strips to put in their toilet after a bowel movement,” Zultanky said.

A strip that turns blues means unseen blood is present. But, Zultanky said, “it’s not as accurate as having a colonoscopy,” which she referred to as the “gold standard” of colon cancer screening.

Nancy Schlossberg, nurse manager at the health center’s endoscopy center, said many people falsely believe colon cancer affects only men.

“But it hits men and woman almost the same,” she said.

Schlossberg had this advice for anyone squeamish at the thought of getting screened: “If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for somebody that loves you.”

Meanwhile, registrations have opened for a walk on April 5 raising money for the Bon Secours Maryview Foundation Cancer Fund to provide care for colon cancer patients.

The Bon Secours 5K for Colon Cancer and 1-Mile Fun Walk is an annual event at the Harbour View center. Advanced registration is $30 — online at www.bshr.com/5K — or $35 on race day.

TowneBank sponsors the walk component, and corporate sponsorships are still available, Zultanky said. Contact Amy Hughes at amy_hughes@bshsi.org for more information.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Zultanky said employees had been handing out pins.

The biggest barrier to screening was fear, Schlossberg said, adding those who shied away from it risked “dying of shame.”

“We have a very high colon cancer rate in this part of the state, which is why it is so very important to spread the word,” Zultanky said.