Smart ‘girl’ does her smear on time | Join the conversation

That’s why calls Olive Foundation (a patient organization for women with gynecological cancer) during the European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week women to participate in the population screening and to have that smear actually made.

Early screening

Every year 800 women in the Netherlands are diagnosed with cervical cancer, according to figures from the RIVM. Without the early screening and vaccination of girls, that number might be higher. Cervical cancer is almost always caused by long-term infection with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which affects 80% of women during their lifetime. The virus is transmitted through sexual contact.

Boys

Boys can get it too. That is why they can also be vaccinated from 2021 onwards. The body usually cleans the virus within two years, but prolonged infection increases the risk of cervical cancer. During the population screening, women between the ages of 30 and 60 receive an invitation to swab every five years, the last time there were around 800,000. Cervical cancer was eventually found in 35 women and a preliminary stage was found in 5000 women. An estimated (!) 325 deaths were prevented.

Tracked down

Women between 35 and 50 years in particular, have smears less often. According to RIVM, many more cases can be detected if more women participate. Olive therefore requires extra attention to prevention. According to the patient organization, cervical cancer is one of the few forms of cancer that can be detected (and thus prevented) fairly easily at an early stage. For women who do not dare to go to the doctor, there has been a self-sampling kit since 2017, with which they can take body material from the vagina at home and send it to have HPV tested. The last time 7% did that.

Troubled cells

One of the women who encourages others to have that smear made is Wendy Geerts (34). “Restless cells” were found in her smear in 2016. She appeared to have cervical cancer at an advanced stage. She didn’t feel like chemotherapy and had her womb, lymph nodes, fallopian tubes and tissue removed. The cancer, however, returned, after which she still underwent chemotherapy. Finally she also had her bladder, vagina, anus and the last part of her intestine removed.

Disaster

But then the disaster continued: Wendy got an infection, underwent a failed operation and has had severe stomach pains ever since. “In the early thirties and then cancer … No, I could never have imagined that. In addition to disbelief, the fact that I had cancer made me especially very combative. I do see what comes my way, view everything from day to day. I don’t dare to plan far ahead. But despite my damaged body, I look forward to my future brightly and with confidence. “

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