Women, your health matters

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - "We have been giving back to women during Women’s Month in the form of their health."

This is according to Mossel Bay subdistrict primary healthcare manager, employed by the Western Cape government Health Department, Anna Lamprecht.

"Our health teams have been hard at work, organising and hosting events throughout the month of August to reach as many women as possible," she noted.

Services rendered at the events have included Pap smears, HIV testing, blood pressure and diabetes (sugar level) testing and demonstrations on how to do breast examinations.

One of the main focus areas is Pap smears as part of early detection of cervical cancer.

"As women, we tend to think of everyone else’s health first, but to be able to take care of others, we need to be healthy ourselves," said Lamprecht.

Health teams, in collaboration with the local municipality and NGOs, hosted five events, with one remaining for Friday 25 August, at Brandwag clinic from 09:00 until 14:00.

To prevent cervical cancer, women should consciously make healthy lifestyle choices and create an environment that may help others in choosing a healthy lifestyle. Some preventative measures would be to stop or preferably never start smoking and to prevent or manage sexually transmitted infections, a media release from the provincial Health Department noted.

It is equally as important to have Pap smears done every 10 years from the age of 30 and more frequently for women who have HIV/AIDS.

The process is simple

A Pap smear is a quick examination to check the cervix (mouth of the womb). A trained nurse or doctor takes a small brush or spatula to remove cells from the cervix and sends it off for testing to determine whether cancer cells are present.

Pap smear services are available at all healthcare facilities, Monday to Friday. Some facilities offer extended hour sessions to accommodate working women.

A clinical breast examination is also done with every Pap smear to detect signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus that causes cervical cancer. The HPV vaccination protects girls from being infected by HPV and thus reduces the risk of developing HPV-related cervical cancer later in life. Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women after breast cancer. Close to 80% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV.

Early detection of abnormal cells means that further investigations can be conducted and, if necessary, treatment provided, thereby preventing cancer from developing.

Take action and invest in your health. Get your free Pap smear at your nearest clinic!

For more information, visit: www.westerncape.gov.za/service/cervical-cancer-screening.

Great Brak River Clinic staff during their event.