The month of January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. In Mexico and US alone, it is estimated that every year over 15,000 women are diagnosed with this disease. This is mostly due to the fact that in recent years, over 70% of the population began taking a Pap test regularly; otherwise, this figure would be much higher.
There are risk factors that cannot be changed, such as age and family history, but today we’ll share a few you can avoid.
Risks:
- Smoking
- Immunosuppression
- Diet with not enough fruits and vegetables
- Being overweight
- Long-term use of oral contraceptives
- Use of intrauterine device
- Having many pregnancies to term
- Be less than 17 years of age at first pregnancy to term
- Not having Pap tests regularly
- HPV infection
- Chlamydia infection
It is very important to get regular Pap test or see your doctor if you notice any abnormality. The most common symptoms are: abnormal vaginal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, lower back pain and / or pain during intercourse.
As prevention, it is recommended to avoid contact with and receive the vaccine against HPV (human papillomavirus), not smoking, use of condoms and again, getting Pap smears.
These recommendations have been published by the American Cancer Society. We encourage you to follow them and share them with family and friends.
Article by SAIN / Servicios Agrupados Integrales
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