Health Authority Abu Dhabi aims to dispel myths about cervical cancer

ABU DHABI // There are women who still think they are at no risk of cervical cancer if they have no family history, and that they do not need a test if they do not have symptoms.

Others think Pap smears, the main test used for screening, are painful, says the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad).

These are just a few of the misconceptions about one of the leading killers of women in the UAE – one that with simple precautions is preventable.

Health officials are focusing on dispelling the misunderstandings around cervical cancer, its screening and its treatment.

Regular screenings are essential for preventing the disease or catching it in its early stages, said Dr Fadi Hachem, consultant physician in obstetrics and gynaecology at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

The risk of dying from the disease increases as it becomes more advanced.

With Pap smears, cell samples are taken from the outer opening of the cervix and studied by pathologists to detect abnormal, precancerous and cancerous cells.

Despite increased awareness, there is still “big confusion” about cervical cancer, testing and the human papilloma virus vaccine, Dr Hachem said. HPV causes about 99 per cent of cervical cancers.

There is a common notion that promoting the vaccine encourages “liberty of sex”, he said, but the risk also applied to married women, especially in a society where men can have more than one wife.

“Here men can have multiple wives and this is a cause to increase more infection, more HPV, more abnormal cells and more cervical cancer,” Dr Hachem said.

Cervical cancer is the fifth-biggest cause of cancer deaths for women in Abu Dhabi, and Emiratis account for 39 per cent of cases, Haad said. The average diagnosis age is 47.

Some patients are afraid that the speculum used for Pap smears causes pain, Dr Hachem said.

“The physician can facilitate the test without the speculum if the patient is worried,” he said.

Dr Karim Elmasry, chairman of obstetrics and gynaecology at Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said he saw patients with similar misconceptions.

“The main thing is that they think it’s related to symptoms,” Dr Elmasry said.

Another problem is the idea that it does not affect Emirati women because of religion or culture.

“One of the things is that, ‘it doesn’t affect us’. Well, that’s a lie,” Dr Elmasry said.

Other people think cervical cancer treatment is not available or is “somehow inferior” in the UAE.

“That’s simply not true,” he said.

Women are still unaware, despite much promotion, that Haad has launched a programme for cervical cancer screenings, Dr Elmasry added.

The authority last year started a programme to offer regular Pap smears to sexually active women between the ages of 25 and 65, the first of its kind in the UAE. Doctors have called for a similar scheme in other emirates.

Women should start getting the screenings when they become sexually active. Haad emphasised that women who are married should get the test, recommending they have it every three to five years.

“Married women need to realise that they are all at risk of cervical cancer and that if they do not get regular screening to detect pre-cancer and the earliest stages of cancer, then the delay in diagnosis in the absence of screening will cause the cancer to become advanced and will reduce the chances of a cure,” the authority said.

“The fact is that cervical cancer is easily preventable and that simple, regular screening can save lives.”

The authority’s announcement came as part of its Live Healthy and Simply Check campaign, promoting regular screenings and behaviour that reduce cancer risk.

Women can book Pap smear appointments at www.haad.ae/simplycheck/appointment, Haad said. The HPV vaccine is also available at more than 24 healthcare centres across the emirate.

lcarroll@thenational.ae