Women in Kiambu Sub-county are being advised to turn up in large numbers for cervical cancer screening as the process has been made cheaper and fast at the Kiambu level 5 hospital.
Pascaline Kioi, the Institutional nurse told KNA Thursday during a tour of the hospital by members of the County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC) that now the via vili test costs only Sh200 and results are given in only 15 minutes as opposed to the former method of pap smear which took up to one week to three weeks because the tests are carried out in the lab and cost Sh 700.
VIA is a visual examination of the uterine cervix after application of 3-5 percent acetic acid whereas VILI is also visual examination generally performed after the VIA test and requires the application of Lugol’s iodine, a compound that reacts with glycogen resulting in a brown or black coloration. The test is efficient and saves time thus convenient because patients will not have to wait with anxiety.
Kioi further explained that this had encouraged more women who were now opting to carry the screening willingly without fear.
She noted that six women in May while nine in June 2019 who presented themselves tested negative which is a good indication.
The affordable medical service is in line with the fight on cancer that is overwhelmingly increasing and prevalent among women in the sub-county that more women should take up the golden opportunity to know their status so that in case one had contracted the disease, they could be put on medication immediately.
She further cautioned that young girls were also falling victim of this dreaded disease and they should therefore not fear to present themselves for the cancer screening.
Kioi said that the major factor that is contributing to cancer spreading among girls between 15 years and 18 was being introduced to unprotected sex which also exposed them to unwanted pregnancies at a tender age.
She recalled an instance where they had to perform a caesarean section on a 12-year-old who was unable to deliver normally. “This has prompted us to administer the human papilloma virus vaccine to prevent some of these cases that emerge in the event of either consented unprotected sex or defilement”
Kioi also called on parents to involve themselves in the lives of their children especially in teenage hood where cases of similar nature surface before it is too late.
Cervical cancer was voted as the deadliest cancer among women with 40 percent incidences and 22 percent mortality, which if given attention leads early diagnosis and treatment. Women who test negative are put on a routine screening because cancer could take up to 10 to 20 years to manifest.
By Anthony Muli
