The Importance of Healthy Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour

The importance of women’s health, especially sexual and reproductive health, has become a growing issue that remains a concern to the healthcare industry. One of the major health problems is the prevalence rate of cervical cancer found amongst middle-aged women especially in developing countries. What people might not realise is that cervical cancer accounts for at least 300 000 deaths worldwide and is considered the fourth most common type of cancer found in women. Luckily, with emerging technology and medical advancement, this allows researchers to discover the causal relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. This is essential as this knowledge led to a more efficient screening method and the development of HPV vaccines which have dramatically decreased the incidence of cervical cancer. Nevertheless, it is not enough seeing as a large population that has yet to realise the hidden danger of this disease. With a lack of understanding and protection, raising awareness of the importance of cervical health has become an increasingly important issue each day.

The basis of a good public healthcare campaign is to educate the community about the disease as well as the signs and symptoms one may notice in a woman with cervical cancer. The typical symptoms include any of the following: bleeding spots between periods, heavier menstrual bleeding, bleeding and pain after intercourse, bleeding after menopause, and sometimes back and pelvic pain. In addition to that, it is necessary to inform what actions need to be taken after observing these symptoms. The reason why public health care workers stress the importance of spreading awareness is that the earlier precancerous cells are found, the higher the chances of preventing and treating cervical cancer. As a result, the mortality rate of cervical cancer can be reduced quickly within a community, because of better public health care awareness.

Other than educating and acting in one’s community, it is also crucial to acknowledge the two types of preventive measures that have been proven useful in reducing the incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer, which are Papanicolaou tests and HPV vaccinations. The Papanicolaou test, also commonly called Pap smear, is considered the best example of a successful cancer screening test. By studying cervical cells, it is used to screen and detect premalignant and malignant cells. Pap smear is highly recommended as it is quite inexpensive and can quickly diagnose and detect cancer. Therefore, women aged 21 to 65 are strongly encouraged to do a Pap smear, especially women with high-risk factors such as those with previous HPV infection, have multiple sex partners, are sexually active before 18, and have previous history with abnormal Pap tests. The second preventive measure is getting HPV vaccinations before being sexually active. Those with HPV infections have a very high risk of developing cervical cancer in the future. As a result, many countries have a legislation that requires all girls to receive HPV vaccinations before they become sexually active. The reason why this vaccine is effective is that if HPV infection can be prevented, the risk of developing cervical cancer can be reduced to nearly 90% amongst middle-aged women.

Overall, healthcare workers around the world continue to stress the importance of acknowledging and spreading awareness about cervical cancer and women’s health issues until today. This is because, despite developing effective awareness campaigns and preventive measures, the prevalence rate of cervical cancer has not yet diminished. This fact can be clearly observed seeing as although many people have been screened or vaccinated, cervical cancer remains the first or second most common carcinoma developed in women worldwide. With this knowledge in mind, I believe that we should not stop the ongoing effort of spreading awareness and continue to strive for better ways to emphasise and promote this issue in today’s modern society. With our long-term effort, I remain hopeful that one day, the problem of cervical cancer can be significantly reduced and will no longer be a concern in a woman’s future.

References:

  1. Stoler MH. Advances in cervical screening technology. Mod Pathol. 2000;13(3):275–84.
  2. Abnormal Pap Smears [Internet]. Bcm.edu. [cited 2021 Feb 5]. Available from: https://www.bcm.edu/healthcare/specialties/womens-health-maternity/obgyn-conditions/abnormal-pap-smears
  3. Arbyn M, Weiderpass E, Bruni L, de Sanjosé S, Saraiya M, Ferlay J, et al. Estimates of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in 2018: a worldwide analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2020;8(2):e191–203.
  4. Cervical cancer [Internet]. Who.int. [cited 2021 Feb 5]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/cervical-cancer

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