HPV Screening, First Step Towards Healthy Life Free Of Cervical Cancer

Director of Infectious Diseases (PTM) of the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi in a press conference held in Jakarta, Thursday, April 24. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Screening is an important step in efforts to prevent various diseases, including cervical cancer. Through early detection, the risk of disease development can be significantly suppressed, so that treatment can be done more quickly and effectively.

In the context of cervix cancer, screening is very important because this disease often shows no symptoms at the early stages, so it is often too late to be detected. The Indonesian government has also encouraged various screening and vaccination programs to tackle this problem thoroughly.

Director of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (PTM) from the Ministry of Health, dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and early examination are the main strategies to eliminate cervical cancer in Indonesia by 2030. This is part of the global commitment that has been launched since 2022.

"As a form of realization of the National Action Plan, we are targeting 90 percent of children under 15 years of age, both men and women, to have received HPV vaccinations before 2030," he said at a press conference in Jakarta, as quoted by ANTARA.

He added that the government provides free HPV vaccines for individuals born in 1999 and thereafter. As for those born before that year, there are early detection services such as cervical cancer screening as an alternative protection.

For people who have not been able to access vaccines for costs or other reasons, screening is the best choice. The combination of immunization and early detection can cover all age groups in an effort to eliminate cervical cancer," he explained.

The public is advised to take advantage of free available screening services at health centers, such as the Free Health Check (CKG) program, including DNA IVA tests and HPV examinations. This examination not only targets cervical cancer, but also aims to detect various other non-communicable diseases.

"In the past, this examination may not have become a habit, now on a birthday, for example, we can reward ourselves with DNA HPV examinations at the puskesmas, and that is free of charge," he added.

HPV screening has long-term benefits because negative results can provide risk-free guarantees over the next decade before it needs to be retested. However, it should be noted that this examination is intended for women who are married or have had sexual intercourse.

In addition, dr. Nadia also emphasized the importance of a healthy lifestyle because lifestyles play a very important role in preventing the development of cancer cells in the body.