Burst the “Happy Bubble”

The root cause of many a serious disease is primarily our mindset. The statement sure does seem vague but is actually true. In our minds we all have this “happy bubble” which causes us to acknowledge the fact that diseases do exist however somehow renders ourselves as unsusceptible to them. Many women are aware of diseases such as cervical cancer but most of them share the common belief that they somehow cannot contract it. This state of mind is dangerous as over powering the mind becomes the single largest obstacle towards detection of a disease as deadly as cervical cancer, which is curable only if detected in the early stages.

Such a mindset is a common problem that plagues most Indian women and is probably the reason that India accounts for the largest number of cases of cervical cancer in the world. Globally, 5,00,000 women are detected with cervical cancer every year of which1,32,082 are Indian women. To add to this, 74,118 Indian women die of cervical cancer annually, that is 8 women every waking hour. The statistics are appalling and the need of the hour is to take concrete steps to ensure that we reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in our country.

It is imperative for women to undergo regular screening programs. Not only does this ensure that cervical cancer is detected at a stage where it is well within control, but also brings to light a lot of other diseases such as STDs which could otherwise go neglected.

Women need to be aware and conscious so as to visit their gynaecologists and take regular pap smears. It is time to let go of our inhibitions and come out of the “happy bubble” so as to ensure that we lead a healthy life, a life free from cervical cancer.

Women at the grassroots level!! A perspective

As part of the FACC initiative, I recently attended a seminar organized by an NGO. The seminar involved participants from Bihar Gujarat, Rajasthan, U.P. etc. and was targeted at educating the representatives about sex- related issues faced by women in their respective regions. Ultimately it is these representatives who carry out simple examinations of the women in their region and apprise them about the basic hygiene elements to be observed and the precautions to be taken so as to ensure that all abnormalities are detected well in advance and appropriate medical treatment is administered.

The revelations at the seminar were indeed shocking. Women in rural India are quite ill informed about the importance of maintaining proper hygiene. Did you know, basic stuff such as the use of sanitary napkins during periods is most uncommon among women in rural India? Let alone use sanitary napkins, the women in question do not even use a clean and sterilized cloth. Given these facts, the high incidence of diseases such as cervical cancer etc. does not come as a surprise.

The fact is further explained by the risk factors that are found in abundance in rural India. Factors such as early onset of sexual intercourse and promiscuity, both of which are quite prevalent in rural India, make the women in these areas extremely prone to developing cervical cancer.

Sporadic programs have been initiated by individual states in India to address the issue of cervical cancer; however it just isn’t sufficient. Contributing one-fourth the total incidence of cervical cancer in the world, India definitely needs to formulate a nation wide focused campaign to combat this deadly disease.

The Killer!!!!!

Ignorance is bliss!!!! Yeah sure…. Until i knew about cervical cancer and the extent to which it affects our society. While discussing about cervical cancer, a few of my friends and I realized that this is an issue that is unfortunately virtually unaddressed and is accounting for nearly 74000 deaths in our country each year….shocking isn’t it….

More so despite knowing about it…very few women actually bother to ensure that they go in for regular screening programs. What is even more disappointing is the fact that we live with such double standards……. sex is something everyone indulges in, but when it comes to revealing ones history to the gynaecologist – most women hide the facts….. Social Taboo!!!!!

All i hope for is that mindsets change and women become conscious of their health – especially sexual health. Cervical Cancer is amongst the easily curable cancers provided it is detected well in time……. it’s important to nip it in the bud (favourite phrase :-)) ………..  So all you women out there……. make sure you go get a pap smear…… Early detection is crucial and as they say…its as simple as a pap smear!!!!!