Cervical Cancer Scare
The first time I heard of cervical cancer my thoughts were “na wa another cancer again” then I heard there was a vaccine to prevent it, I was very happy ehn! Like “ Baba God, o te da mo ma escape eleyi ” (meaning: baba God, I would escape this one). So I made inquiries on cervical cancer and learned that you get the full benefits of the vaccine if taken before you get sexually active (doesn’t mean it won’t still work on you if you are already sexually active). The vaccine is in three doses. However you get screened before getting vaccinated, the screening test determines if you get vaccinated immediately or you get treated of the white patch which is an indication of the presence of pre-cancerous lesions (cells that can lead to cancer).
So I titled this post cervical cancer scare because my friend Toju (not real name) got a positive test scare. Toju wasn’t sexually active at the time of screening, after the second dose Toju decided to cross over and got sexually active so she decided to get screened for Hpv before the last dose just to be sure, well I don’t think she liked that decision at first cause she got tested positive for pre-cancerous lesion(presence of white patches on the cervix) and she was scared, even I was scared to death like “ is this how her life will just end”(I know I can be dramatic) so my curiosity went on overdrive knowing fully well that she only has one sexual partner she used condoms like how did it happen? So I want you to know the following:
– Hpv stands for Human Papillomavirus and it causes cervical cancer in women.
– You can get infected with Human Papillomavirus through oral, vaginal or anal sex, the most common however is vaginal. So be careful and get vaccinated as soon as possible.
– The more sexual partners you have the more likely to get infected with Hpv. Men are the carriers of the virus but it doesn’t manifest in them.
– The purpose of screening is early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer precursor lesions.
– Hpv acquisition often occurs soon after sexual debut, so don’t think you just started and can’t get infected.
– Vaccination is best between ages 11-13 for boys and girls, if missed should be done before age 25 in order to get the full benefits.
– Hpv is transmitted through skin-to-skin with a person infected with it. It’s best to use a condom but a condom doesn’t offer 100% protection from it so you still need vaccination.
– And ladies get screened!!! I cannot over emphasize this. If you do not want anyone to know, secretly go to a Primary health center or a small clinic like some of those Catholic clinics and get screened, grab the opportunity of free screening and free vaccinations. Better to be safe than sorry.
Well, for my friend we decided that she try another place for screening and it came out negative so we are excited. I encourage ladies to get screened and vaccinated.
When last did you get screened or have you been vaccinated? Would love to hear from you in the comments section.
[…] for Cervical Cancer Screening, get vaccinated, know your HIV status(it is free in Primary Health Centres), see a gynecologist, […]