ARE YOU A FEMALE & AGE > 21 ?? OR DO YOU KNOW ONE ??

                        The "allegedly modern" women in India are now flocking towards health setups for "clearing up skin from acne", to get a toned skin/belly, and various other cosmetic reasons. They are not hesitating to tell others that they did some nose jobs/other beauty enhancing activities. one, because they want to show others that they have the desirable effects, two, these are done in fancy health setups which are considered to be visited by the riches. No one has their FB status showing "did lipoma removal from govt.hospital"-it is a prestige issue.

    Keeping your issues aside, women should visit govt. PHC / UHCs nearby because there are some events routinely happening about many important health issues. One such important issue is on Cervical cancer.Every year cervical cancer is diagnosed in about 500,000 women globally and is responsible for more than 280,000 deaths annually.The current estimates indicate approximately 132,000 new cases diagnosed and 74,000 deaths annually in India.

The incidence rises in 30–34 years of age and peaks at 55–65 years, with a median age of 38 years (age 21–67 years).

     The main association are Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections, which are acquired by sexual transmission. These viruses stay inside the female genital tracts(vagina, cervix) and start destroying the tissues. The destroyed tissues, in 10-12 years become transformed into cancer.

     Risk factors for HPV infections are:smoking(active/passive),multiple sex partners,low immunity,early age of sexual intercourse. Though multiple partners are not much of a factor in India, early marriage with resultant early sex, husband smoking, and the recent trends like "less food for a slim body" and "junk foods to appear cool among peers" has induced malnutrition which poses imporatant risks for HPV infection in Indian women.

    And the cancer incidence is more among the young age female 18-50. So the health advisories all over the world has created protocols for earlier detection of HPV infection and cervix tissue damage in these risk groups so that cancer can be prevented.

   It is mandatory to test "all women" with age from 21(or 3 years after first sex, whichever is early) to 70.
The standard tests are:
 1. Pap smear- detects tissue damage in cervix at starting stages itself.

2. HPV virus detection in the cervix tissues.  These tests must be done every year upto 30yrs age and every 2-3 years after 30 yrs age. other technical details are unnecessary.

 The govt has made arrangements for pap smear testing in all govt setups. Though rural women are using it more than the urban women, the awareness among both the groups is still less.

  You can get the tests done from any govt/private gynecologist in the country. The govt setup is using standardised methods only, so no difference in accuracy when compared to private setups.

   SO ARE YOU A SEXUALLY ACTIVE FEMALE & AGE > 21  ?? GO AND GET YOUR PAP SMEAR DONE.