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Rejoice Makoni-Herald Correspondent
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is offering free cervical cancer screening during this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in Harare, an official has said.
Cervical cancer develops in a woman’s cervix (the entrance to the uterus from the vagina) and most cases are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact.
Ms Bernadette Mandaza, an Acetic Acid and Cervicography (VIAC) nurse said the cervical cancer screening was open to women of all age groups and encouraged women to come in their numbers.
“We are at Zimbabwe Agricultural Show grounds where we are conducting free cervical cancer using the (VIAC) method,” she said. “Cervical cancer can be treated and we are urging all women to come and get screened.
“We are referring those that will be found positive to doctors for treatment and those that will be found negative we are encouraging them to get screened after every three years.”
Ms Mandaza said the aim of the screening was to stop cervical cancer before it started.
“The process involves finding abnormal cell changes (pre-cancers) and treating them before they have a chance to turn into a cervical cancer,” she said. “For any woman, early detection is critical to achieving a favourable outcome and leads to more affordable treatment options.”
Early stages of cervical cancer did not usually involve symptoms and were hard to detect. The first signs of cervical cancer may take several years to develop.
Finding abnormal cells during cervical cancer screening is the best way to avoid cervical cancer.
Online Reporter