January is devoted to enhancing cervical cancer recognition as a key goal towards knowing what it is and how it can be prevented. The disease referred to as cervical cancer is an illness that every woman can be vulnerable to and is probably caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The human-to-human transmission of this virus is through touch, but, you guessed it, there is a small yes instead of a big no!
HPV vaccine has been found to reduce cervical cancer chances as it is the leading cause of the sickness. Thus, it provides the best protection when received a few years before the first sexual encounter, preferably between the ages of 9-14. However, it is worth mentioning that most of this month’s efforts center on informing the public about the vaccinations and check-ups that help prevent the disease.
As stated in the recent blog post titled “Empowering Women’s Health—Cervical Cancer Awareness Month,” it makes more sense to provide practical approaches at the social level by joining the efforts to build a community of supportive care in tackling cervical cancer.
Cervical Cancer: What Is It?
Cervical cancer originates from the outer surface of the uterus of a woman, namely the ‘cervix,’ which is a not very broad part of the woman’s body, located at the lower end of the uterus right next to the vagina. Common causes of it are the human papillomavirus virus, abbreviated as HPV, and others. While most HPV-infected patients cannot notice any symptoms, the virus, including some of its types, can develop cancer by gradually changing cervical cells.
Cervical cancer is estimated to be the fourth leading cancer in the entire world, as per the WHO. COVID-19 diagnosis in women alone was around 6,62,301 in 2022, while 3,48,874 women succumbed to death.
The specialists suggest getting early screening tests or Pap tests of the cervix to reduce the chances of getting cervical cancer because they can identify the cancer before it spreads. Furthermore, the HPV vaccine should be taken to prevent cervical cancer from developing exceptionally in women.
What Makes Awareness Important?
It is suitable to find out about cervical cancer and safeguards during January, known as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. This gives many women a sensitivity of not knowing the possible risks of getting the disease or not knowing that they should go for check-ups often. This is particularly crucial because, in most cases, cervical cancer at a preliminary stage will not present any symptoms. There are also side effects known to occur, and should they occur, such as unusual bleeding or pain in the pelvic region, they only show up later in the progression of the cancer.
Surprisingly, diagnosing in the early stages is crucial for an effective treatment to be administered. Indeed, the World Health Organization stated recently that cervical cancer is now treatable using the HPV vaccine, and regular screening is advisable to mitigate its effect. Thus, increasing people’s awareness during this month will enable more women to learn how they can avoid cervical cancer.
What Are The Prevention Strategies?
Cervical cancer is a severe disease, but there are important ways that may help to avert it. Below are the top three points to consider:
- Vaccination for HPV: One of the best ways to facilitate most forms of Cervical cancer is through the HPV vaccine. WHO believes 90% of females should receive the vaccine by age 15. This vaccine facilitates at a very high level the harmful forms of HPV that can lead to the growth of cancer. In one of the researches done in Sweden, women who were given this vaccine before the age of 17 were around 90% less likely to be affected with cervical cancer in their later stages.
- Routine Screening: Another significant measure is routine cervical screening, which includes Prontocopy tests. The NHS recommends that cervical screening start at 25 and continue every three years until 49 and every five years until 64. This enables physicians to detect potential problems in the bud early.
- Healthy Living: Other ways to help prevent cervical cancer include maintaining a healthy living standard. Here are a few tips that can assist:
- Do not smoke: Tobacco smoking poses a genuine threat that may lead to cancer.
- Healthy diet: Cordial relations with everyone seem reasonable for the body, and eating vegetables and fruits is also good.
- Being Active: Exercise often because regular workouts help manage your body weight and boost immunity levels.
Global Initiatives and Goals
On 17 November 2020, WHO adopted the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. Much like in 2018, the vision at the end of 2100 is to see cervical cancer phased out as a serious threat to society’s health. To accomplish this goal, the international community needs to reach three targets set for 2030, called the “90-70-90” objectives.
To begin with, at least 90% of girls by the age of 15 should be vaccinated with an HPV vaccine to protect them from cervical cancer later in their life. Second, 70% of women who are 35 and 45 years old need to undergo special screening tests for cervical cancer. These tests help to identify any problems that could escalate later in life. Finally, 90% of women who have cervical disease, cervical signs need treatment to help them recover.
If these goals are achieved, a large number of lives will be saved, and those prone to developing cervical cancer, more so in countries where it’s a serious issue, can be treated. The initiative hopes that if implemented globally, they will be able to avoid more than 74 million newer cases and save 62 million lives by the year 2120. Once this is achieved, cervical cancer will be a preventable illness.
Challenges in Low-Resource Settings
Cervical cancer remains a global public threat, particularly for women in LMICs. In these areas, many women do not have convenient opportunities to receive adequate health care services such as vaccinations and screenings that will eliminate the risk of this disease. The WHO estimates suggest that 88% of the disease burden emerges from these regions, which have new cases and new deaths from cervical cancer. This depicts the health status experienced by LMICs and that experienced in developed countries.
Subsequently, several factors contribute to the prevalence of cervical cancer in LMICs. They include low income, cultural beliefs on women, and lack of access to appropriate health care services. In this battle, though, awareness campaigns are essential. These campaigns inform women about their risks and ways in which they can guard against them with vaccines for HPV and annual screening. Awareness and education can save lives and improve health for women of these communities, which is why these programs are essential.
Community Involvement
Community participation is ideal in ensuring that people get the correct information on cervical cancer, especially in January, when people are charted. Other organizations, like the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC), encourage other local groups to spread awareness and help the victims of this disease. It is established that cervical cancer prevention and regular checks can be good if the community works as a unit.
Keeping caution about the cancer types, community events like health fairs or workshops are equally essential to bring attention to cervical cancer. These activities can be entertaining and educational by explaining the disease, its causes, and how to live healthily. Other potential avenues to disseminate information, such as social media and the community’s news, can reach many people quickly.
The coming together of various community members towards shared goals goes a long way towards strengthening the social fabric and lessening the feeling of isolation. Survivors, for instance, can recount their experiences, bringing the reality of the disease closer, alleviating fear, and motivating those not covered to seek proper guidance. More significantly, greater emphasis on community engagement is a more substantial lever to better people’s health and save lives.
Conclusion
This month (January) is dedicated to cervical cancer awareness so we can pay more attention and learn about it. This month is meant to increase awareness and show women, in particular, that they should be taking these measures, protecting themselves, getting the vaccination, and going for check-ups. Cervical cancer is a preventable cancer, and with the proper measures in place, we can effectively eliminate this disease.
HPV vaccination is another preventive measure that should also be taken. This vaccination is most usually administered to girls between 9 and 14. In addition, everybody must know the signs of cervical cancer and the dangers that may exist when this disease occurs. This helps people avoid potential illnesses for themselves and their families.
Screening regularly is another crucial step regarding preventive measures. Women should start getting screened at age 30 so that doctors can catch problems that can be treated quickly at the early stages. If this information could be shared with friends and family, it could help create more awareness in the community.
If we follow these preventative measures together, we can not only lower the number of cervical cancer cases but also encourage each new generation to be health conscious. Let’s transform this month into a month of education!
Sources:
https://www.nccc-online.org/cervical-health-awareness-month/
https://cancer.umn.edu/mncctn/news/cervical-cancer-awareness-month-facts-you-need-know
https://www.aacr.org/patients-caregivers/awareness-months/cervical-cancer-awareness-month/