A former Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole says many Nigerians are unaware that bleeding after sexual intercourse can be an early warning sign of cervical cancer.
The Co-Founder, African Cancer Coalition,
said cervical cancer is preventable and treatable if presented and diagnosed
early.
According to the World Health Organisation,
cervical cancer is still the second most common cancer among women in Nigeria
and the fourth most common type of cancer among women globally.
The WHO noted that it is the most common among
women between the ages of 15-44 years and that 7,900 women lose their lives
each year from the 12,000 cases reported in Nigeria.
He said, “The challenge in Nigeria, just like
the challenge in Africa and many developing countries, is that a lot of people
are largely unaware of the situation with cervical cancer.
“Therefore, when they present to the
hospitals, they present largely in an advanced stage, for quite a number of
reasons.
“One, they are not aware of the symptoms of
early stages which include contact bleeding, especially just after sexual
intercourse.
“What most women with such incidents usually
do is stay away from their men believing that the bleeding was caused by the
man.
“They probably thought it was due to trauma,
and some form of injury. And interestingly, when they do that, the bleeding
will stop but the disease will continue to progress.
“So, by the time they will have a resurgence
of the disease in terms of symptoms, the disease will be far advanced.’’
Adewole, a Professor at the University of
Ibadan and Northwestern University, said, “So, you have these women moving from
one caregiver to the other and healing homes to another.
“By the time they finally present at the
final destination, maybe a teaching hospital, or a private facility manned by a specialist, the
disease would have advanced, and at that stage, it is beyond cure.’’
The former health minister, while speaking
with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos, revealed that about 80 per cent of
cervical cancer cases were presented in advanced stages and that many
healthcare practitioners also missed some of the early signs or stages of
cervical cancer.
Prof. Adewole said the trajectory of late
presentations could be moved to either no presentation at all or an early
presentation.
He said that according to the WHO, symptoms
of early-stage cervical cancer might include, “Irregular blood spotting or
light bleeding between periods in women of reproductive age.
“Postmenopausal spotting or bleeding,
bleeding after sexual intercourse, and increased vaginal discharge, sometimes
foul smelling.’’
On the causes of cervical cancer, the WHO
pointed that that two Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) types (16 and 18) were
responsible for nearly 50 per cent of high-grade cervical pre-cancers.
HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual
contact and most people were infected with HPV shortly after the onset of
sexual activity.
No fewer than 90 per cent of them cleared the
infection eventually and cervical cancer could be cured if diagnosed at an early
stage and treated promptly.
Proffering some solutions, Adewole told NAN
that a new research on the efficacy of a one-dose HPV vaccine regimen was among
several of the factors that could prevent and bring the world closer to
eliminating cervical cancer.
He urged increased sensitisation on the
disease by governments and stakeholders.
He encouraged the HPV vaccine be given to
young girls from the age of nine to 14, to prevent them from having cervical
cancer.
The professor also advised women with
symptoms to present early at health facilities for diagnosis.
Prof. Adewole is among the 12 leading health
experts from around the world moving the powerful call to action in the fight
against cervical cancer through The Global Declaration to Eliminate Cervical
Cancer.
The declaration was formally launched at the
World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 22, 2023, with signatures collated from
more than 1200 global health leaders and advocates representing over 100
countries.
Top among them include the former Prime
Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, CEO of Amref Health Africa, Githinji
Gitahi; President of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Jeanne Conry, and President-elect of the International Pediatric Association,
Naveen Thac.
NAN
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