The fight against cervical cancer became a family affair as mothers and daughters trooped to City Central School in Cebu City early morning to take part in a free screening and immunization initiative organized by the Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecological Society (POGS) in cooperation with the Department of Health.
The event, entitled “Scarlet May,” provided free VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) screening to women aged 25 to 65. VIA has been proven as an effective screening method in detecting incidence of cervical cancer, and a viable alternative to Pap Smears in low resource settings.
Josie Guinawon, 35, of Cebu City, was among the 195 women screened. She brought along her daughter 10, who was given the first of two doses of the quadrivalent vaccine to prevent HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), the virus that causes cervical cancer.
Despite the availability and accessibility of the vaccine, it continues to be stigmatized in conservative communities, as it often implies sexual activity.
Guinawon even shared that a neighbor of hers did not allow her daughter to be vaccinated because her husband believed it was simply too early for the girl. However, for Guinawon, it is never too early to protect her daughter from cancer.
“Dati sa amin, wala man mga ganyan, mga anti-anti cervical sa aming panahon. Sabi ng asawa ko, bakit dati, wala man? Sabi ko, makisabay ka lang kasi ngayon, iba na ang panahon (in our time, we didn’t have anti-cervical cancer vaccines. My husband said we didn’t have this before. I told him to just go with the flow because times are different now),” she shared.
“Nagpa-screening ako para sabay na kami, (I got screened so we can go together)” Guinawon shared. “Masaya ako. Dahil pareho kami na mas safe. (I am happy, because we are safer now).”
As part of its National Immunization Program, the DOH provides free vaccines against HPV to girls aged 9 to 10 in 47 provinces across the Philippines.
“Age(s) 9 to 10 is the best time [to get vaccinated] because the antibody is very high compared to the older population,” explained Dr. Pherdes Galbo POGS – Cebu Chapter. He also pointed out that girls of this age are not yet exposed to the virus, which is acquired through sexual activity.
Early vaccination is also more economical, as younger girls only require two doses for the vaccine to be effective. Anyone older than age 13 up to 45 would require three doses.
At the event, nine girls from Cebu City received their first dose, while six girls from Mandaue received their second dose.
Charmaine Rama, 31, also brought her daughter Felicia Rose, 9, to get vaccinated. As Charmaine shared, her kids have complete immunizations against various diseases, so it was only natural for her to take the opportunity to get her only girl immunized against cervical cancer.
“Palagi namin siya pinapa-vaccinate. Yung dalawang anak ko complete vaccine na, sa anti-pneumonia, ganyan. Yan lang cervical cancer wala so ginrab na namin yung opportunity (We always have her vaccinated. My two kids have complete vaccines, anti-pneumonia and all that. It’s just cervical cancer that was needed, so we grabbed the opportunity),” Rama added.
“Para sa akin importante magpa-check at magpa-vaccinne, para healthy, iwas sakit (for me it is important to get checked and vaccinated so we can stay healthy and avoid the disease)” Rama shared.
A lecture was also held to raise awareness on cervical cancer. As the women waited to be screened, Dr. Esther Ganzon, of the Philippine Society for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (PSCPC), talked to them about the various factors that put women at higher risk for cervical cancer. These include smoking, early sexual activity, multiple sexual partners, and childbearing.
Ganzon and other doctors stressed the importance of yearly pap smears or VIA screening, highlighting the fact that early detection, along with vaccination, is key to surviving cervical cancer. “[Cervical cancer] is 100 percent curable if it is pre-malignant. The only reason we can’t detect it is because of the lack of screening. The objective of this particular activity is to bring as many women as possible and detect early lesions,” POGS Region VII Regional Director Dr. Charisse Tan explained.
Cervical cancer survivor Cristina Casaña who is now a member of She Matters, a cervical cancer foundation shared her story as well. She was diagnosed with stage 1B cervical cancer in December 2014 and is now cancer-free. Prior to her diagnosis, regular screening was not much of a big deal for her. However, after surviving the dreaded disease, she now urges women to get checked religiously.
“You have that thinking in mind that it’s not going to happen to me. But cancer can happen to anybody,” she said.
According to Casaña, screening should be a priority for women. “It’s really important for women to get yourselves checked. Don’t just get your hair done, your nails done. See a doctor, have yourself checked.”