KUCHING: Cervical cancer can be prevented by undergoing human papillomavirus (HPV) self-test, according to Pink and Teal founding chairperson Dr Abigail Rembui Jerip.
Dr Abigail paid a courtesy call on Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Children Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah yesterday at Baitulmakmur Building to tell her about HPV self-test for preventing cervical cancer and Women’s Marathon this coming April 5.
Dr Abigail said more than 90 per cent of cervical cancer is caused by HPV. It is a sexually transmitted viral infection and 85 per cent of women who are sexually active have it. The infection goes through a number of stages before it becomes a cancer.
“We want to combat cervical cancer at the very beginning of the infection stage and not at the end. We screen for the cancer and abnormal cells,” she said.
She mentioned that this cancer is 90 per cent preventable through vaccination, Pap smear, and HPV testing which women now can do in the safety and privacy of homes.
Fatimah said that once a woman has done the test on herself she can either mail the test result to Pink and Teal’s address or drop it at CityOne Megamall in April or the at National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) clinic.
“The main objective is to reach as many rural women as possible for early diagnosis and lower the number of cervical cancer cases.
“Early testing of HPV, diagnostic test and early treatments are the methods that will be used to prevent cervical cancer in Sarawak and we are not just targeting women in the city but also women in rural areas,” she said.
She noted that if a test result is positive of HPV, then early treatment will be given to prevent the infection from becoming cancerous.
Women are urged to give their test results to Pink and Teal within one week. Once received, the outcomes can be known in two to three hours, after which the women would be informed.
In a campaign called “Sigek Kitak, Sigek Kamek” starting next month, 90 tests are allocated for women every month to observe the progress and then the campaigners will move on to Sibu, Bintulu, Miri and other regions.
Through the campaign, women can buy a RM150 HPV self-test kit from Pink and Teal and one will be given free to an under-privileged rural woman who receives monthly screening from the association.
The campaign will be from April 5 to April 7 in conjunction with a health and fitness weekend at CityOne Megamall where women can buy their HPV self-test kits, drop their test results or register for the Women’s Marathon in October.
Pink and Teal organised the cervical cancer awareness campaign in partnership with Welfare, Community Well-Being, Women, Family and Children Department Ministry, National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), Sarawak Women and Family Department (JWKS), Unimas, CityOne Megamall and Borneo Indah.
As for the first ever Women’s Marathon, it will be held in October in conjunction with cancer awareness month. It will include some fun activities for the empowerment of women.
More information can be found on Pink and Teal EmpowHer Facebook page where details of the HPV self-test and Women’s Marathon can be found.
