www.merdeka.com – Prevention of cervical cancer every woman must know. Cervical cancer occurs when cancer cells attack the cervix or the lower part of the uterus which is connected to the vagina. The virus that triggers this disease can survive for years and contributes to the formation of cancer cells in the body.
No cause has been found so far cervical cancer surely. However, environmental and lifestyle factors play an important role in increasing the risk of this chronic reproductive disease. Starting from unhealthy food consumption, alcohol consumption, smoking habit, unhealthy sexual activity.
Anyone can get cervical cancer if they’re not careful. In this way, it is important that you know the steps to prevent cervical cancer that must be taken. In this case, cervical cancer prevention can be done in several ways, such as having regular pap tests, getting the HPV vaccineto get used to a healthy sexual activity.
Not only that, cervical cancer prevention it also needs to be supported by small things like quitting smoking and starting to adopt a healthy and balanced diet. Reporting from the Medical News Today page, here we summarize some ways you can prevent cervical cancer.
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Prevention of cervical cancer: routine Pap smear, HPV vaccine, protection of sexual activity
Routine Pap test
The first way to prevent cervical cancer can be done with routine pap smear exams. Cervical cancer prevention is the best way for doctors to detect cervical cancer early so that screening can be continued on a regular basis.
In this case, your doctor may do a Pap smear or an HPV test. It is also possible for the two tests to run at the same time. It is recommended that women between the ages of 25 and 65 get an HPV test every 5 years or a Pap smear every 3 years.
In the HPV exam, your doctor can look at cellular changes that have the potential to cause cervical cancer. Also, doctors can provide special treatment before the cells develop further. While a pap exam is done to look for precancerous changes in the cells of the cervix. Usually, your doctor will use an exchange to collect a sample from your cervix and examine it further.
HPV vaccine
The next way to prevent cervical cancer is HPV vaccination. In addition to screening, HPV vaccination is also important to prevent the risk of cervical cancer. This vaccine can protect you from various types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer.
According to the recommendations, adolescents between the ages of 11 and 12 and all children under the age of 26 should receive the HPV vaccine. Generally everyone needs two or three doses of the vaccine depending on each age.
While people over the age of 26, it’s usually not recommended to get the vaccine. However, some people between the ages of 27 and 45 can still receive the vaccine after consulting a doctor.
Protection of sexual activity
The next way to prevent cervical cancer is to protect your sexual activity. Please note that HPV infection can be transmitted through sexual contact. Usually, women who were sexually active before the age of 18 have a higher risk of cervical cancer.
Not only that, women who have six or more multiple sexual partners also have a higher risk of cervical cancer. Thus, it is advisable to protect sexual activity by using barrier contraceptives such as condoms to protect yourself from the risk of infection.
However, it should also be understood that this risk does not necessarily protect you completely. You are still at risk of getting an HPV infection from different parts of the reproductive area that aren’t covered by condom contraception, such as the genital skin or the area around the anus. Therefore, vigilance must be maintained.
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Cervical cancer prevention: smoking cessation, healthy diet patterns
Stop smoking
How to prevent cervical cancer must also be supported by healthy habits, one of which is quitting smoking. It should be understood that smoking can cause various types of cancer, including cervical cancer. Where tobacco smoke can weaken the immune system so that it is more difficult for the body to kill cancer cells.
Furthermore, cigarette toxins can damage and modify cellular DNA, increasing the risk of developing cancer. In addition to active smokers, a 2019 study found that passive smokers who have a sexual partner who is an active smoker also have a higher risk of cervical cancer.
Healthy diet templates
The last but not the least way to prevent cervical cancer is to adopt a healthy diet. As mentioned above, some food components can increase the risk of forming cancer cells in the body, including cervical cancer. Thus, it is important to start adopting a healthy and balanced diet to prevent this risk.
Certain foods are recommended to prevent cervical cancer. Like foods that contain antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, E in fruits and vegetables. In addition, you can also get the intake of antioxidant polyphenols, flavonoids, lycopene and sulforaphane in plant foods and tea drinks. Additionally, you need to get folate, calcium, vitamin D, and consume a variety of nuts and legumes to prevent the development of cervical cancer cells.
(mdk/ayi)
