Contents:
- Medical Video: Preventing Cervical Cancer
- Is it true that I can prevent cervical cancer?
- How to prevent cervical cancer?
- 1. Conduct a Pap Smear test
- 2. Perform an HPV DNA test
- 3. HPV vaccine
- 4. Prevent pre-cancer
Medical Video: Preventing Cervical Cancer
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cervical cancer is the 4th cancer most often experienced by women. WHO also revealed that cervical cancer has been the cause of the deaths of 270 thousand women in developing countries in 2015.
According to data ICO HPV Information Center / Globocan 2012, every day 26 women died of cervical cancer. This means that every hour, 1-2 women die from this disease. Cervical cancer can be experienced by any woman, therefore, you should be vigilant and take precautions early. How to prevent cervical cancer?
Is it true that I can prevent cervical cancer?
Although including a type of cancer that is deadly for women, but precisely cervical cancer is the only cancer that can be prevented.
Cervical cancer itself is caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is not only transmitted through sexual intercourse, but can also be through skin-to-skin contact (skin to skin contact).
Actually, before becoming cervical cancer, this disease will go through one stage called the pre-cancer stage. In this period, the cervical or cervical tissue has not yet been attacked by cancer cells, but the surrounding tissue has begun to grow abnormally. If this condition is not treated, it will easily turn into cervical cancer. This stage takes about 10 years or more to develop into deadly cervical cancer.
If you are detected still in the pre-cancer stage, then it is possible to recover and you do not need to imagine having to do a painful cancer treatment. Even, the experts stated that the pre-cancer stage itself can be overcome in a number of ways, so the chance for cervical cancer will be very low.
How to prevent cervical cancer?
Of course, there are steps you can take to prevent cervical cancer from happening, namely:
1. Conduct a Pap Smear test
PAP smear is the first examination that can be done to detect cervical cancer. In fact, usually pap smears can detect pre-cancer that occurs in someone. If you have had sexual intercourse, a pap smear examination should be done routinely for 3 years.
This test is actually done to find out to know as early as possible the presence or absence of abnormalities in the cervix. Abnormal pap smear results occur quite often and this does not make you definitely experience pre-cancer or cervical cancer. If indeed there are abnormal results, then you will be asked to do further examination.
2. Perform an HPV DNA test
Almost the same as pap smear, HPV DNA tests are also done to check cervical cells and see whether there is an HPV virus infection or not. This test will be done when the results of a pap smear examination are abnormal.
This HPV examination is recommended for women who have been married or have had sex, every 5 years,
3. HPV vaccine
HPV vaccination is the initial prevention that you can do. This vaccine has been proven to prevent the development of HPV virus infection in the body. In fact, the HPV vaccine is safe for children who have already had their reproductive organs active. Therefore, this prevention method can be done by children aged 9-45 years for women and from the age of 9-26 years for men.
WHO has established the HPV vaccine as the primary prevention method for cervical cancer. Even WHO also recommends for all countries to carry out this HPV vaccine for free and can be reached by all citizens.
4. Prevent pre-cancer
Some things you can do to prevent pre-cancer are:
- Avoid various things that can cause you to contract the HPV virus, such as having unprotected sexual intercourse and not maintaining vaginal hygiene and health.
- Leave smoking habits. For women who are at high risk for HPV infection, smoking will increase risk the formation of pre-cancerous lesions. Smokers also usually have cervical infections that are longer and more difficult to cure than women who don't smoke.
- Do a healthy lifestyle, this is always something you must do to maintain your overall health. Don't forget to eat healthy foods, like fruit and vegetables.
- Maintain normal weight.
- Always use a condom during sexual intercourse.
