Watching TV this afternoon, I really paid attention to that new commercial from Gardasil. “What would you do to protect yourself?” The main thing being to get a PAP test and get vaccinated against cervical cancer. Good advice I suppose. I have heard commercials being played ceaselessly on our local urban radio station (I haven’t heard so many on non-urban stations) encouraging young girls to get themselves vaccinated to protect against cervical cancer. I thought this might be a good place to discuss some of the other risk factors of cervical cancer that we can encourage our daughters and young women in our community to AVOID — instead of seeing vaccination as the be-all and end-all of our cervical health. We have more control than we think:
http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/centres/cancer/cervical/prevention/index.html
Risk factors for cervical cancer include:
- becoming sexually active at a young age
Young women are more susceptible to HPV infection since the cells of the cervix are undergoing rapid change at puberty. - having many sexual partners
Women who have many partners or who have sex with partners who have had many partners, have a greater chance of getting HPV. - HIV infection
The immune system of a woman infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) is less able to fight both the human papillomavirus and early cancers. - having a weakened immune system
Immunocompromised women with chronic fatigue syndrome, women who have had organ transplants and women who are taking steroids are less able to fight HPV infection. - smoking
Smoking appears to be a cofactor with HPV in causing dysplasia, which may progress to cervical cancer.
Let’s talk about these things too. Gardasil may not be talking about them (why discuss risk factors when you only have a few minutes to promote your product) but we can talk about them in our own families and communities. Any thoughts?
There is important background info in “Fatal Probe”, a little book written a few years ago by Will Locksley that can be found on Amazon. He seems to have been out there warning women about this for years.
The primary focus of the book is to uncover facts concerning the cross-infection of women during their visits to the offices of their medical providers. However, there is relevant, previously undisclosed information that challenges the efficacy of the Gardacil tests.
Be patient, in that they seem to not be able to keep them in stock.
I am a Stage 3B Cervical Cancer Survivor. I started a blog in an effort to raise Cervical Cancer Awareness http://www.cancerlost.blogspot.com. I was 28 when I was diagnosed with advanced Cervical Cancer and my story is a long, painful & inspiring one. Cervical Cancer is not talked about but it touches the lives of every single woman out there. We need to start talking about this cancer because it is not rare and it does kill.
http://www.cancerlost.blogspot.com