You can save yourself the pain and cost associated with treating cervical cancer if you know these five things associated with the disease that affects over 570,000 women globally
#1 Cervical cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the cervix (the organ connecting the uterus and vagina) of a woman. After infection by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 16 & 18, It can take up to 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop in women with normal immune systems. Whereas in women with a weakened immune system, it can take about 5 to 10 years.
#2 Not every woman will experience symptoms once infected with HPV. As the virus causes changes to the body of a woman, you might experience any of the following symptoms; unexplained vaginal bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge, pain during sexual intercourse, pain in the pelvis or lower back, trouble urinating or defecating.
#3 If your mother or sister had cervical cancer, your chances of developing the disease are higher than if no one in your family had it. Always know your family medical history as a woman.
#4 You can still come down with cervical cancer even after treatment of previous diseases. Recurrent cervical cancer usually occurs when the cancer is detected months after an initial cancer treatment regimen.
#5 Cervical cancer can spread from the original infection site which is the cervix to other organs such as the lung, liver, bladder, rectum, e.t.c This is called metastasis (forget the big grammar), it is simply the spreading of cancer cells to other locations in the body other than the original site it started from.
The good news is that you can prevent all the above from occurring by doing a Pap smear and getting vaccinated against HPV.
For information on where to get affordable cervical cancer screening services and HPV vaccination, kindly contact us via WhatsApp or mobile on +2348160962414 or follow us on Instagram @inocul8.