Dear Ms Thompson,
I read your article in the Health section of the July 8 edition of The Gleaner and wish to provide you with information on recent activities undertaken by the Government of Spain in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat aimed at the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer.
The Government of Spain, fully aware of the high incidence of cervical cancer in the Caribbean, coupled with the consideration of the health sector as one of the priority areas for assistance, allocated US$250,000 through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation to fund a multi-phase project proposed by the CARICOM Secretariat, which would address the treatment of this type of cancer.
The first two phases of the project were two 'train the trainers' workshops in colposcopy held in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in June, and which were attended by experts from across the region. At the end of the training, participants were certified as trainers in colposcopy.
Phases three and four of the project will see the documentation and dissemination of the recommended protocols for the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer, including colposcopy as well as the sourcing and acquisition of the required equipment for designated medical institutions.
Three colposcopes
As part of the assistance, Spain has committed to donate colposcopes to the participating countries - Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica is the only country that will receive three colposcopes, one having already been officially handed over during the closing ceremony of the train-the-trainers workshop held in Kingston.
The colposcope is a special microscope used to examine the cervix and the tissues of the vagina and vulva thoroughly to be able to detect premalignant lesions and malignant legions in those areas. The colposcopes will be allocated in areas of critical needs.
The training-of-trainers workshops have been regarded as the most appropriate way to achieve greater results in less time and is expected to improve national capacity in diagnosis and build human resources necessary to implement the programme.
Sincerely yours,
Marta Méndez D'az
Deputy Head of Mission
Embassy of Spain
Kingston, Jamaica
Dear Ms Thompson,
I read your article 'Why are women dying of cervical cancer?' It was a good article. I would just like to add my two cents on the issue. What is most prohibitive at times in getting women to do a Pap smear is the cost to see the doctor and then the additional cost of the Pap smear.
Just recently, I found out that the Jamaica Cancer Society does Pap smears at a reasonable cost. I believe if more women knew about this avenue, maybe there would be an increase in the number of women doing Pap smears. If possible, maybe you could do an article on the services offered by the Jamaica Cancer Society and the cost associated with the services.
Dear Ms Thompson,
I did a Pap smear recently and they said I should do a colposcopy and biopsy. I went for the results and was told to schedule another visit as they saw abnormal cells. I am wondering, what's the cost and where is this injection accessible?
Dear Ms Thompson,
I am truly hurt to know. I have always thought that regular sex and childbirth heal many normal sicknesses. Too many women are minimising sex compared to the past and delaying childbirth for so many reasons - economics, independence, not the right time or guy, etc. Could this be true? Are there studies to compare the health of sexually active, married, childbearing women and sexually inactive women? Can you give me any feedback? The response could be very informative for women's and men's future sexual behaviour.
- Patrick
Dear Ms Thompson,
My grandmother passed away earlier this year from cervical cancer. I am 27 years old and I would like to know if the vaccine will be of help to me. Please advise. I read your article today in The Gleaner, which says, in part: "The vaccines offer protection against the HPV subtypes responsible for more than 70 per cent of cervical cancer and are indicated for girls older than 10 years old and women." If so, can you advise as to where I can get this vaccine? Looking forward to your response.
Dear Ms Thompson,
Is this vaccine able to prevent cervical cancer. Please provide clear knowledge of it.
- Dinesh
Response
Dear Readers,
Thanks for your numerous emails and phone calls in response to my article 'Why are women dying of cervical cancer?', some of which are published here. For more information on cervical cancer and the vaccines now available, you can go to various websites on the internet. Try, for instance, the UK cancer research site: www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=16024 or the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page: www.cdc.gov/Features/CervicalCancer.
Readers with specific health questions should take the advice of their licensed health practitioners and the reader who described abnormal cells on Pap smear should definitely continue to consult with her doctor.
Best wishes
Eulalee Thompson
Send questions and comments to our health specialists at Your Health, c/o The Gleaner, 7 North Street, Kingston; email yourhealth@gleanerjm.com. Unless otherwise indicated, letters and the specialists' responses are usually published.