Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Ovayolu reminded that the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, is transmitted through sexual contact and said, “HPV may not show any symptoms in either the person who transmits it or the person who is infected. The virus can be protected by vaccination.”
Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Ovayolu provided information about cervical cancer on the occasion of cervical cancer awareness month, January 1-30. Drawing attention to the diagnosis and treatment methods in cervical cancer, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ovayolu said, “The cervix uteri, located at the highest point of the vagina, can be directly seen by the doctor during a gynecological examination. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, is transmitted to women through sexual contact. Lesions (sores) form after infection.”
The importance of screening tests
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Ovayolu, who stated that a smear (PAPS-PAP smear) test should be performed for early diagnosis of lesions in the cervix, said, “Lesions (sores) in the cervix can first turn into precancerous (pre-cancerous) lesions and then turn into cancer. Precancerous lesions that can turn into cancer can be detected with a smear screening test, and then low and high risk categories are determined. Afterwards, biopsy (sampling) is taken from suspicious areas by colposcopy (a kind of magnifying glass) and high risk lesions or cancer are investigated. The cancerous area of the cervix is removed with the conization (or LEEP) method, and then the boundaries of the cancer are determined. However, more important than all these treatments is prevention. In other words, instead of treating the disease, precautions should be taken to prevent its occurrence.”
“It can also cause cancer in men”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ovayolu stated that attention should be paid to HPV viruses and shared the following information:
“In women, genital warts can cause precancerous lesions in the cervix, cervical cancer (100% correlation has been shown), anal cancer, vaginal cancer, vulva cancer, as well as genital area cancers such as nasopharyngeal (back of the nose), oropharynx (mouth), larynx (throat) cancer. In men, it also causes these cancers, and in addition, genital warts and penile cancer. Therefore, our motto should be; We should know how the HPV virus is transmitted and what the protection methods are.”
“It can be transmitted through contact”
Noting that the human papillomavirus (HPV) can be transmitted through contact with a person carrying the virus, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ovayolu said, “HPV may not show any symptoms in either the person who transmits it or the person who is infected. It continues to live silently in the genitals and around the mouth without mixing with the blood. In addition, 85 percent of both male and female individuals worldwide are infected with HPV at some point in their lives.”
“Vaccination is an effective method of protection”
Underlining that vaccination is necessary to protect against the HPV virus, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ovayolu said, “Vaccination is recommended for both genders before the first sexual contact in individuals over the age of 9. Prominent organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed that HPV vaccines are effective and safe for both genders. In countries that routinely perform vaccination, a significant decrease in the aforementioned cancers, especially genital warts and cervical cancer (almost all), has been observed. The vaccine has no known serious side effects. It is recommended to postpone it in the presence of a serious infection and fever, otherwise it can be administered to everyone. The effectiveness of the HPV vaccine is almost 100 percent. It can be obtained from pharmacies. Like the current Covid vaccine, the HPV vaccine is easily applied intramuscularly to the deltoid region of the upper arm or the upper lateral side of the thigh,” he concluded.