It's Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and it's another opportunity to remind women that their cervical health needs attention.

Cervical cancer results from prolonged infection with high-risk types of Human Papillomavirus Which are transmitted through sexual contact. Human Papillomavirus can cause at least six types of cancer, including Cervical Cancer which is the topic of interest.
In 2020, an estimated 604 000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer globally and about 342 000 women died from the disease.

What are the risk factors for Cervical Cancer? The following categories of women have high risk for Cervical Cancer:

Age...over 30 with untreated Human Papillomavirus Infection.
Early exposure to sex at an early age
Prolonged use of birth control pills
Multiple Sex partners
No regular cervical screening
Overweight/obesity
Weakened Immune system
Presence of Female relatives with history of Cervical Cancer
History of smoking

What are the symptoms?
Bleeding or pain during or after sex
Blood spots or light bleeding at times other than a normal period
Increased or unusual discharge from the vagina
Menstrual bleeding that lasts longer and is heavier than usual
Bleeding after menopause
Though the above symptoms might not be notices until the late stage .

Is cervical cancer preventable? Yes it is highly preventable with screening test for early detection and vaccination to prevent HPV infection.

What are the available screening test?
The two major ones are:
The Pap Test( Pap Smear ): It helps to detect pre cancerous cells i.e cell changes in the cervix that have tendency to cause cervical cancer if not treated as expected.
The HPV Test: detects virus (HPV) that can cause these unusual cell changes.

Are there available treatments for cervical cancer?
Yes , there are but it depends on the stage of cancer and associated medical conditions.

Here are some of the treatments:
Radiation
Chemotherapy
Surgery

When was the last time you had a screening done?

Remember the two keys to preventing cervical cancer are: Screening and Vaccination.

Get screened!
Get vaccinated!

Visit a nearby center today to do the needful.

This is 2022, your cervical health needs your full attention.

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