Healthy junk

One of the hands-down best things about being a woman is the junk.

It’s an intricate, amazing system that we still just barely understand. Now matter how far our technology has come, humans still couldn’t design a system close to replicating Nature’s complicated cocktail of hormones and anatomy.

Keeping that system healthy does wonders for a girl’s mood, so let’s talk about Cervical Cancer Awareness week.

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) is launching a Pap test campaign from Oct. 27 to 31. Women who don’t have a family doctor or gynecologist can drop-in or book an appointment with participating doctors during the week.

“Cervical cancer remains a significant problem,” FMWC President Dr. Kathleen Gartke said in a press release. “The Canadian Cancer Society predicts that there will be 1300 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in Canada this year. The tragedy is of course, that up to 90% of these cases could be prevented through regular screening programs.”

With Ontario doctors only participating in the Pap test campaign in Ottawa and Windsor, cervical cancer will likely remain a “significant problem” for women in this province.

Pap tests detect abnormal cells in the cervix before they become cancerous and when they are easily treatable. Not enough women are getting the Pap test. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 15% of women have never been screened; 30% have not been screened in the last 3 years. One of the reasons for that is Canada’s doctor shortage.

In the name of cervix-love, the federal government is offering $300 million to launch HPV vaccination efforts for grade-school girls.

Gardasil vaccinates against human papillomavirus, the STD infects half of all sexually active women between 18 and 22. Untreated HPV can cause cervical cancer, one of the top causes of death for women around the world.

While protecting young women from cancer is clearly a good move, there are still some concerns about possible long-term effects of the new vaccine.

And I can’t say I blame those questioning whether doctors have been careful enough in studying the health impacts of the vaccine.

There are still doctors out there that don’t believe the cervix has any nerve endings. Anyone’s who has experienced a period, never mind having a baby, knows better.

Comments

[Jen]

The lack of long-term evidence surrounding Guardisil makes me glad I won't have to help my daughter make this decision for a few years yet. I understand being in a rush to attempt to eradicate this type of cancer (though this vaccine doesn't promise to do that --- just reduce the number of cases), but I'm not sure the potential side-effects could make this a good trade-off.

I'm not anti-vax, by any means --- my kids have had quite a few. But this one is just too untested over the long term for my comfort.

[Wally Keeler]

So there will be 1300 new cases of cervical cancer this year. The Canadian Cancer Society says that "24,700 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 will die of it."

I'm just adding a bit of perspective. Oh, btw, there is a breast cancer Month for women, and now a cervical cancer Week for women. Is there a prostate cancer Day?

Over all, 79,400 women will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 35,000 women will die. By comparison a mere 87,000 men will be diagnosed and 38,800 will die.

In matters of suicide, Statistics Canada reported that in 1997, 2,914 men offed themselves, whereas a whopping 767 women did it.

It's lethal being a man these days. But hey, who cares about them -- they're expendable.