January around the globe is known as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. This month doctors and other medical specialists in Latvia underline the importance to be vigilant about cervical cancer risks and ways to not only prevent but also put an end to this as a problem in society entirely.
The slogan “Overtake cervical cancer!” is used for the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in Latvia. It is under this slogan women are invited to sign up for a state-paid screening and vaccination of young people against the causative agent of this cancer – human papillomavirus. It is organized by the Latvian Cervical Cancer Education Foundation in cooperation with the Latvian Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians and the Latvian Society of Colposcopy.
“Our goal meets the goal of the World Health Organisation, and it is putting an end to cervical cancer as a public health problem in Latvia. It is possible to achieve this with public responsiveness and participation in achieving this goal. Cervical cancer is a relatively new form of cancer among women – for nearly half of women it develops around the age of 45. This is the age when a woman is still active in her profession and career and has a family and children,” stresses Latvian Cervical Cancer Education Foundation manager Kristīne Pčolkina.
“The year started off with pleasant news from National Health Service’s provisional data on residents’ never before seen responsiveness to cervical cancer screening – 77.5% in nine months of 2023. Our message is heard. This is an illness that can be completely prevented thanks to the public’s own responsiveness. However, to come close to this goal, we need to make sure 70% of invited women undergo cervical cancer screening, 90% of girls are vaccinated for human papillomavirus, and 90% of women diagnosed with pre-cancer illness receive appropriate and modern treatment,” says Latvian Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians manager, gynaecologist Vija Veisa.
Post-screening health checks are just as important. If a person is not vaccinated for human papillomavirus, it is recommended for adults and youngsters,
but in this case they have to pay for it themselves. In recent years there have been important changes in Latvia in regards to the funds available to doctors for cervical cancer screening, medical specialists explain. Early cancer screening is nothing to fear, because even news of a possible risk of cancer is not a tragedy – it’s an opportunity to prevent a tragedy.
“Screening tests are often used to look for risks of cancer, rather than the illness itself. If we find it, we can usually put a stop to cancerous growth,” explains Vija Veisa.
The heads of medical associations thank family doctors for their involvement in the fight against cervical cancer. The recent growth in the number of screenings is largely thanks to their contribution. It’s very important for family doctors to follow this and remind their patients of screening and vaccination options.
Health is our responsibility to ourselves and our loved ones!
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