Auntie Stella

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What have you learnt about cervical cancer?

Talk to your female friends and relatives. Tell them about the Pap Smear.
How can you lower the chances of getting or causing cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer affects the part of the womb known as the cervix. It is the most common cancer in women in Zimbabwe and yet very few people know about it. If treated early, it can be completely cured.

A woman is at greater risk of getting cervical cancer if ..

she is older than 35
she began to have sex at a young age (within a few years of starting her period)
she's had many sex partners
her partner has had many sex partners
she's had genital warts
she has HIV/AIDS

Having sex while you are still a teenager, and having many partners, will greatly increase your risk of getting cervical cancer. Some young women in Zimbabwe are now getting cervical cancer when they are still in their 20s. This is one more danger resulting from early sex, along with unwanted pregnancy, and the risk of STDs and HIV/AIDS. Think twice about having sex while you are a teenager, and take care of yourself.

Once you are sexually active, you should have a test called a Pap Smear once a year if you are in a high-risk group and once every three years if not. Most hospitals and clinics provide this test. No woman needs to die of cervical cancer if it is found early.

Auntie Stella