Revealed – the truth behind the myths about cervical cancer

Cape Town, South Africa, 24 October 2007 - Tellher.com is an educational website dedicated to disseminating vital information about cervical cancer to women in particular and the interested public in general. One of the ways that they go about doing this is to debunk some of the myths that have surrounded cervical cancer for years.

In the following we will have a look at a few of the most pertinent myths and disputed facts that relate to cervical cancer, and one that can also be applied to cancer in general. An important aspect of the Tellher website to take note of is the name, “Tell Her”. They mean for you to take this literally. As you learn more information regarding this disease, don’t keep it to yourself; pass it on to the women in your life so that they in turn can pass it on to others. One of the most effective ways of beating this disease is by knowledge and the more women you tell, the more lives you stand to save.

Example 1: Myth: If you have the human papillomavirus, you will get cervical cancer
Fact: The human papillomavirus is very common (up to 80% of all women will be infected with it), cervical cancer is not so common. Most cases of human papillomavirus are cleared by the body’s immune system within a year. It is when a woman is infected with a certain type of HPV and her body is unable to clear the infection that abnormal cells can develop in the lining of her cervix. These are the abnormal cells that become cancer if they are not treated early.

Example 2: Myth: If a woman and her partner always use a condom they are safe from the human papillomavirus.
Fact: Condoms do not always protect against the transmission of HPV. The human papillomavirus is very common, is easily transmitted and is practically symptomless. Anyone who has ever had sexual relations, including genital contact, with someone carrying genital papillomaviruses, could be infected. Most people contract HPV during adolescence. It is, however, very important to use condoms as they protect you against other sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

The last example can be applied to cancer in general.
Example 3: Myth: Everyone with the same kind of cancer gets the same kind of treatment.
Fact: Treatment depends on a variety of factors, including where the cancer is situated, whether or not it has spread and whether or not it’s affecting your body functions and health in general. The decision on which treatment to use is based on several factors and these include: the size of the cancer and what stage it is in, the woman’s overall age and health, and, ultimately, the woman’s choice.

Ignorance is not bliss, learn all that you can and be well armed in the war against cancer.

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CONTACT:
Tell Her UK
http://www.tellher.com
Sandy Cosser
sandra@mvi.co.za

Tellher provides information and educates women about cervical cancer in many ways and one of them is to tell the truth about many of the myths that surround the disease. The site also encourages all those who visit it to spread the word as far as possible and to tell as many people as possible about what they have learned from Tellher. Their mission is to save lives through knowledge.

This release was published on openPR.