Contents:
- Medical Video: Frequently Asked Questions about HPV Testing
- Myth 1: I have never felt pain in the V area, so I am safe from cervical cancer.
- Myth 2: If parents get cervical cancer, I will be affected too
- Myth 3: Cervical cancer always ends in death
- Myth 4: Cervical cancer cannot be prevented
- Myth 5: Women who have had cervical cancer cannot have children
Medical Video: Frequently Asked Questions about HPV Testing
Besides breast cancer, there are other cancers that also often threaten women, namely cervical cancer. According to Epidemiology and Prevention of Cervical Cancer in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, sat least, there is 15 000 Indonesian women infected with cervical cancer every year.
Every woman has a risk of cervical cancer so that knowledge of cervical cancer becomes an important foundation for women. But unfortunately, information about cervical cancer is often colored by myths and misconceptions. What are the wrong myths about cervical cancer, and what are the facts?
Myth 1: I have never felt pain in the V area, so I am safe from cervical cancer.
In fact, abnormal cell development in cancer patients does not show any symptoms. Therefore, routine cervical cancer screening is needed even if you don't feel any symptoms now. Prevention of cervical cancer can be done in two ways, namely primary prevention by doing HPV vaccineand secondary prevention by screening.
For HPV vaccination, the earlier it is done, the more optimal the results will be. The HPV vaccine will stimulate the formation of an immune response in the body, thus creating protection against cervical cancer.
Whereas for cervical cancer screening, according to National Cancer Institute , there are two ways, namely with a Pap test or pap smear and HPV test. The main purpose of screening with a Pap smear is to detect the presence or absence of abnormal cell development that can develop into cancer if not given certain treatments.
A Pap smear identifies abnormal cell development before it becomes cancerous. Whereas HPV (human papilloma virus) test is used to find whether or not there is a high risk type of human papilloma virus that develops abnormal cell growth in cells in the cervix. This test can detect HPV infections that cause cell abnormalities, even before cell abnormalities can be seen clearly.
By knowing it early, you can find out your health condition is more certain, and if indeed there is abnormal cell growth detected, then treatment will be easier to do at the initial stage or even during pre-cancer.
Myth 2: If parents get cervical cancer, I will be affected too
In fact, some cancers that often occur in women such as breast cancer and ovarian cancer can be inherited from parent to child. Unlike cervical cancer, this disease is triggered by HPV infection, so the best way to protect your child from cervical cancer is to ensure they get HPV vaccination.
Myth 3: Cervical cancer always ends in death
In fact, the earlier screening is done to detect cervical cancer, the higher the life expectancy. People who are diagnosed with cervical cancer at an early stage have a life expectancy of up to 92%. Regular screening will help ensure cervical cancer is detected at an early stage that can be treated.
The most common problem is that most people do not do the screening to find out the condition early, which makes cervical cancer finally detected at the stage of cancer has spread and is difficult to treat.
Myth 4: Cervical cancer cannot be prevented
In fact, the course of the onset of cancer usually takes years, does not instantly experience cancer, so it is still possible to prevent it. In fact, cervical cancer is the only cancer that can be prevented.
Cervical cancer is triggered by various factors, but the main cause is HPV infection. Therefore, to prevent cervical cancer, it is necessary to take precautions against HPV infection by getting HPV vaccination.
Some simple things can also be done to help prevent cervical cancer, namely
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid changing partners in having sex
- Avoid having sexual intercourse at an age too early
- Maintain an immune system with a healthy diet and regular exercise
Myth 5: Women who have had cervical cancer cannot have children
In fact, cervical cancer patients who are detected early and are still in the early stages, still have hopes of having children. Cervical cancer patients usually undergo a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and or chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the pelvic area. But if it is still in its early stages, before taking care of cervical cancer, talk to your doctor that you still hope to have a child.
There are several new treatment options that allow doctors to maintain patient fertility so they can still be parents. If your cervical cancer is still in its early stages, you may be able to undergo a radical trachelectomy, cone biopsy, or LLETZ [1]. With this method of treatment, you can still get pregnant afterwards.
[1] Radical trachelectomy is a fertility arrangement for young women who have cervical cancer at an early stage and want to have children. Fertility Eradication Procedure on Early Cervical Cancer in Young Women Dorothee Speiser, Dr. med. Christhardt Köhler et.all
