January is celebrated as cervical health awareness month. While cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, it should be noted that it is highly treatable and preventable if caught early. Regular cervical screenings are hence of utmost importance because they can be greatly instrumental in saving lives and winning against cervical cancer. In fact, Cervical screenings are by far one of the best ways to protect oneself from cervical cancer. Cervical screening is so effective because it checks the health of the cervix and helps in finding any abnormal changes in it before these abnormalities turn into cancer. To be precise, cervical screenings are not the tests of cancer, instead, they go one step ahead and become the tests that help prevent cancer. In this article, we will discuss in detail about the importance of regular screenings for cervical health.
How cervical screening helps to prevent Cervical cancer?
Cervical screening requires the collection of samples from the cervix, which is then tested for the presence of certain types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). These are the types of HPVs which can cause some abnormalities in the cervix and are known as high-risk HPVs. If these high-risk HPVs are found in the cervix of a patient, her sample is then checked for any presence of abnormalities or abnormal cell changes. If any abnormal cells are found, they are treated before they can turn into cancers. Hence, screenings greatly help in preventing cancer of the cervix.
What is Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?
HPV is one of the most common types of viruses. Almost every person can get infected with HPV once in their lifetime. It doesn’t necessarily require penetrative intercourse to spread, instead, it can also spread through skin-to-skin contact of the genital area. It is a very common virus and has no reason for the patient to be hesitant about it. Some types of HPV are the ones which pose a high risk of causing cervical cancer. In most cases of HPV, the body gets rid of the virus on its own, without causing any symptoms. However, in some cases, the HPV stays in the body for a long time. If this virus stays in the body, it can cause certain abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix, which can later turn into cervical cancer, if left untreated. Hence, if high-risk HPV is found early, it can be treated, and abnormal cell changes in the cervix can be monitored. If abnormal cell changes are found, they can be treated before they turn cancerous.
Who are at risk of getting cervical cancer?
Any human being who has a cervix, and has sexual contact with a man or a woman, can get cervical cancer. This is because almost all of the cervical cancers are caused by high-risk HPV. A patient can get high-risk HPV through vaginal, oral, or anal sex, sharing toys, or any skin-to-skin contact with the genital area. A person who has never had any kind of sexual encounter with any other person can choose to opt out of screening tests, however, they should consult their Gynaecologist before doing so.
- HPV Vaccine: Even if someone has had an HPV vaccine, they should still get the screening done, since there are many types of HPV and the vaccine doesn’t shield them from all the types of HPV.
- Only One Sexual Partner: Even if someone has had only one sexual partner all through their life, they can still get HPV when they have sex for the first time. Hence, they need to get their screening done as well.
- Sexually Inactive for a long time: Even if a person has had only one sexual partner, and has been sexually inactive for a long time after that, they still need to get screened, as they may also have an HPV for a long time without knowing it.
- Lesbian or Bisexual: You can still be at risk for getting HPV. Even if a person has had a single sexual encounter, irrespective of the gender of the other person involved, they are at risk of getting HPV.
- Partial Hysterectomy: If a woman has had a partial hysterectomy, and not all of her cervix was removed, she should get her screening done.
- Trans men with cervix: As stated above, anybody with a cervix has a potential risk of developing cervical cancer, irrespective of whether the person is a woman or a trans man with a cervix.
While it is always the choice of a person whether to go for cervical screening or not, it is one of the best ways to prevent cervical cancer. Hence, every woman should consider getting her regular screening done in every 3 to 5 years, in order to prevent any complications.
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