When Safe Sex isn't enough: Cervical cancer article

When safe sex isn’t enough
By Katrina C. Guevarra

Something is terribly wrong.

“I’ve been doing it well-protected ever since I was young, I couldn’t possibly get it,” you reason out to yourself during a painstaking wait for the doctor’s result. But no amount of rationalizing can get you through the moment you find out that the Big C has stricken you. Cervical cancer strikes any woman.
But what causes cervical cancer? According to the C-Network, a Cancer Research and Support Network in the Philippines it is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus. It is classified into three different cell types. One there is the Squamous cells, which are think and flat normally found at the surface of the cervix. When this cell spreads to the whole cervix and to the bones, it is called the metastatic cervical cancer.

Dr.Shiela Jane Labrador Illescas, an OB- Gyne and owner of the In My Womb, 4D Ultra Sound Center, recommends most of her patients who is unsure of how many women their respective partners have contact with to get the HPV Vaccine. The HPV Vaccine is the one way women can be safe from getting the HPV which may lead to cervical cancer.

So how do you know if you have cervical cancer? Symptoms manifest in the following ways : abnormal bleeding which may occur after sexual intercourse , douching or pelvic exam. A woman may also want to check if she is bleeding longer and heavier than usual or have increased vaginal discharge, C-Network suggests.

Since these symptoms do not cause pain, it is only detected through a Pap smear and Pelvic Exam. Better go to your trusted OB-gyne upon seeing these changes occur in your body. As C-network emphasizes, “Only a doctor can tell for sure”.


People at risk of cervical cancer are as follows, those who have low immune system because of kidney transplants, therapy for other form of cancers or HIV. Those who have history of genital warts and herpes simplex virus infection are also at risk. Then there are those who are cigarette smokers, have multiple partners and multiple pregnancies. Lastly, those who have had their first intercourse at an early age are at great risk of Cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer targets any woman. There are many great risks worth taking, but I’m not sure this is one of them. An HPV Vaccine is well-worth the money before you start any “party”. After all, one cannot rely on contraceptives alone anymore.