Don't Be Afraid Of Early Detection Of Cervical Cancer Pap Smears Are Painless

Illustration-Cancer (Pixabay-Padrianan)

JAKARTA - One of the obstacles to early detection of cervical or cervical cancer is the public's fear of having to undergo a pap smear or pap test and IVA (visual inspection of acetic acid).

Obstetrics and gynecology specialist dr. Cindy Rani Wirasti, Sp.O.G. invites the public to get rid of doubts about early detection because the test is not painful.

"Pap smears and IVA do not hurt," said Cindy in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, October 2.

Generally, this examination only takes a short time, about 20 to 30 seconds. Based on their experience with patients, a number of female patients feel more comfortable examining their intimate organs when only dealing with health workers, without being accompanied by friends or family.

If you feel reluctant to check your health when accompanied by the closest person, you are advised to consult alone.

Pap smear tests should be done regularly to detect cervical cancer symptoms. This is because infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer is often only symptomatic when cancer has reached an advanced stage.

Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer include bleeding during sexual intercourse and vaginal discharge mixed with blood.

"Early detection is useful in preventing HPV infection from developing into cervical cancer," said Cindy.

HPV infection can be prevented by getting the HPV vaccine, which is now part of a government program that targets girls in the 5th and 6th grades of elementary school. However, this vaccine can also be given to adults, both women, and men.

Cervical cancer occurs when cancer cells develop in the cervix (cervix), the entrance to the uterus from the vagina. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV).

The process of infection with the HPV virus that causes cervical cancer takes a long time, between 7 to 15 years. However, what often happens is that people do not realize they have been infected with the virus and only find out after getting cancer.