09/08/98 National Awareness Campaign Proposed on Carcinoma of the Cervix Of all the carcinoma of the cervix is still the number one killer of women in South Africa. As women are celebrating women’s day, Doctors For Life would like to make use of this opportunity to recommend that this day should also draw attention to women’s health. We realise that often women tend to take care of their families and those around them while neglecting themselves. One important health issue of concern is the devastation that cancer of the cervix (ca. cx.) is causing amongst, mainly, black women in South Africa. Of all cancers affecting women, carcinoma of the cervix still remains the number one killer. Also, in the light of the infrastructure available for the doing of Pap smears, the latter is at this stage still the best way of screening for and detecting early and also later stages of the disease. This is a simple, non invasive procedure which should not take more than a few minutes. DFL would therefore like to encourage the government to launch a campaign to increase public awareness of this disease. While cancer of the breast is more prevalent amongst white women, carcinoma of the cervix still remains more prevalent amongst black women. We would therefore also suggest that, where as other western countries like the USA have a national breast cancer day, a similar week be set aside in South Africa. In order to do this, DFL will be communicating with the government to suggest that the week following women’s day be made a "ca. cx. awareness week" each year, during which women across the country be encouraged by radio, newspapers and the media in general, to go for pap smears. As a "national cancer of the cervix day". DFL would like to commend the government for the new policy which has been introduced encouraging routine pap smears at the ages of 30, 40 and 50 years. We are concerned though, that the 18 to 30 year age group is left out while our experience shows that there is an increasing number of women in this age group who, on Pap smear, already have pre-cancerous lesions. We feel that, especially women of the lower income group, need to be informed about their right to obtain at least 3 free pap smears at government hospitals and clinics. DFL would therefore like to make use of this opportunity to advise all sexually active women who have never had a pap smear, to go to their clinics, GP’s, hospitals and Gynaecologists and request a pap smear test. Risk factors or cancer of the cervix include:
DFL is an organisation of about 800 medical doctors, specialists and professors of medicine from medical faculties across South Africa. For more information contact Dr M. Ledwaba at: 082-8881-192 |
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