Nipping Cervical Cancer in The Bud

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• India has a population of 432.20 million women
  aged between 15 years and above. As per Human
  Papillomavirus and Related Diseases 2015 stats
  report, most of them are at a risk of developing
  cervical cancer. At present, every year around 12
  lakh women are diagnosed with cervical cancer.
  Nearly 67 thousand women out of this succumb to
  the disease. Currently, cervical cancer is the
  2nd most common form of cancer that affects women
  between 15 and 44 years of age.
• There is lack of awareness about the issue, as in
  many states and cities cervical cancer is
  considered as a taboo due to social stigmas of
  sexual transmission attached to it. The condition
  is caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a
  sexually transmitted virus that can also cause
  genital warts. As a result most women are
  reluctant to go even for a preventive checkup.
  One of the most effective preventive checkups for
  cervical cancer is Pap smear.

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• Pap smear is basically a procedure that collects
  cells from the cervix (lower, narrow end of the
  uterus) thats at the top of the vagina. The test
  can identify even slight changes in the cells. It
  usually gives 80 of subsection that the women
  may develop cervical cancer.
• Detecting cervical cancer at an early stage gives
  a greater chance of quicker recovery and cure.
• A Pap smear is useful in detecting any future
  possibilities of contacting the condition.
  Detecting these abnormal cells early with a Pap
  smear is the first step in halting the possible
  development of cervical cancer. It is one of the
  most common methods used for the early diagnosis
  of cervical cancer.

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• There are four stages of cervical cancer. In the
  first stage the cancer is only at the cervix and
  can be treated with medications. In second stage
  the cancer begins spreading to other organs such
  as uterus. The virus spreads beyond the ovaries
  in the third stage and in the fourth and final
  stage the cancer spreads to vital organs such as
  liver and stomach and the life expectancy is very
  low in this stage.

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• Most adults are infected by the HPV virus at some
  point in life. The infection may go away on its
  own. But sometimes it can cause genital warts or
  lead to cervical cancer. Thats why its
  important for women to have regular Pap tests.
  Incase women notice any abnormal symptoms such as
  Bleeding from the vagina that is not normal,
  bleeding between menstrual periods, after sex, or
  after menopause, Pain in the lower belly or
  pelvis, Pain during sex, Vaginal discharge that
  isnt normal its advisable to undergo a pelvic
  test.
• As part of regular pelvic exam, one should have a
  Pap test once in every three years. During a Pap
  test, a small sample of cells is scraped from the
  surface of the cervix to look for cell changes.
  If a Pap test shows abnormal cell changes, the
  doctor may do other tests to look for
  precancerous or cancer cells on the cervix. The
  most common form of cervical cancer starts with
  pre-cancerous changes and there are ways to stop
  this disease from developing. So it is advisable
  to take up regular pap smear test.

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• This way one is more prepared to recognize and
  treat pre-cancers before it becomes true cancers,
  and in some cases regular check-ups can help
  prevent development of pre-cancer.

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• Thank you..

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