Poland has one of the highest mortality rates for cervical cancer among European Union countries. October, which has been recognised as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, is to try to change this sad statistic.
Thanks to reports from more well-known and well-liked women that they have contracted and later beaten breast cancer, the number of patients taking advantage of free regular mammography screening is steadily increasing. However, not much is heard in the media about famous cases of cervical cancer.
This certainly helps the disease to retain its destructive aura of mystery and thus translates into preventive screening statistics. On the other hand, women often explain themselves by the fact that they are simply afraid of a cancer diagnosis and therefore put off visiting the gynaecologist. Fear of a diagnosis of a fatal disease is natural.
In the case of cervical cancer, however, women forget at the same time that early detection of cancer poses little challenge to doctors and is completely treatable. Despite the inconsolable statistics, the efforts and work of the Cervical Cancer Prevention Programme continue unabated.
photo ojoimages
This is particularly true in the month of October, which has been chosen as a time for particularly intensive efforts to reach as many women as possible. In this connection, numerous preventive healthcare units and oncology centres organise various campaigns to encourage Polish women to undergo preventive examinations.
Often, information conferences are organised, as was the case, for example, in the case of the Tychy City Hall on 8 October, during which a great deal of valuable information can be obtained, for example, on large-scale prevention projects, such as vaccination against the human papilloma virus (H. pyloriV) for girls aged 12.
These are available right now in Tychy but also, among others, in the municipality of Leżajsk in the Subcarpathian region. Many health centres also organise so-called White Saturdays, i.e. open door days on the subject of preventive health care aimed at the general public.
In the hectic pace of everyday life, it is often difficult to find a moment to reflect on one's own health. Perhaps now, in October, when medical institutions are reaching out to us, it is worth stopping for a moment and taking advantage of the opportunities that are at our fingertips. After all, health is the most important thing we have.
