Women advised to undergo cervical cancer screening

Women have been advised to regularly undergo screening for cervical cancer to detect the disease early for treatment to avoid any fatalities.
    
Mr Bismark Pakindam Lambon, a Student Doctor at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, who gave the advice, said early detection of cervical cancer ensured treatment but when detected at an advanced stage, it could only be managed up to the point when it would kill the patient.
    
He was making a presentation on cervical cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease at a forum for women groups organised by the Northern Regional Department of Gender in Tamale to mark this year’s Mothers’ Day celebration on Sunday.
    
Mothers’ Day is marked on May 14 every year in the country to honour mothers for their contributions to the development of society as a whole as well as the sacrifice to nurture children to greater heights.
    
The Department of Gender presented gifts to some of the participants (women) at the forum, which was to engage women to lead healthy lives.
    
Mr Lambon said cervical cancer was a silent killer hence the need for women to screen for the disease for early detection for treatment.
    
According to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Related Cancers Fact Sheet 2017, cervical cancer ranks as the first most frequent cancer among women in the country and the 1st most frequent cancer among women from 15 to 44 years of age.
    
Current estimates indicate that every year 3052 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 1556 die from the disease in the country.
    
Mr Lambon said women who had multiple sexual partners as well as those starting unsafe sexual intercourse at early age were more susceptible to cervical cancer whiles other causes included smoking and prolonged use of oral contraceptives.
    
He also spoke about pelvic inflammatory disease advising women in their menstrual stages, who experienced abnormal vaginal discharge amongst others, to go for a medical check-up.
    
Madam Bushira Alhassan, Acting Northern Regional Director of the Department of Gender advised women to eat a healthy diet, exercise always and stop smoking and avoid exposure to second hand smoke to maintain healthy lives to continue to contribute to national development.
    
Kansawurche Veronica Azara Bukari, President of Association of Queenmothers and Women Chiefs, Northern Region branch, spoke about puberty advising women to educate their daughters to take good care of themselves to avoid diseases. 

Source: GNA