Cervical Cancer Is the 2nd Leading Cause of Death Among Women

Imagine your daughter, sister, or close friend has recently been diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 19. She just graduated from high school with so much hope and so many dreams to accomplish. However, now that she discovered the heartbreaking news that she is dying from cancer, those dreams become dim and fade away, as she now has to contemplate how many more years she will live. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among women globally.

According to Medicine.Net, cervical cancer is a result of "human papillomavirus (HPV) infections (due to) having many sexual partners, smoking, taking birth control pills and engaging in early sexual contact." In other words, habits that many women believe are good life choices, such as taking birth control pills to prevent pregnancy, may be a problem for them. This type of cancer is usually common among women between the ages of 35 to 55 years old. However, most recently, it has been more frequently diagnosed in women under the age of 20. It has even been detected in girls, as young as 11 years old.

Many women cannot feel the symptoms during the early stages of the cancer. In the article, "Top 10 Facts about Cervical Cancer," the author pointed out that women should be on the lookout for bleeding between regular menstrual periods or after sexual intercourse. For many women, once they discover they have cervical cancer, it is too late.

This is an urgent matter for women in regards to health internationally. Doctors are recommending women make appointments for regular pap tests and take two vaccine shots to prevent cervical cancer. However, the shot works best if taken before women become sexually active. The shot is not 100 percent guaranteed to prevent cervical cancer, but it is a strong deterrent.

At the moment, there are only three treatments for women who are already diagnosed. They have the option to have surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Meanwhile, girls and women from all ages are highly recommended to carefully watch their daily habits and take good care of their health. Women need to start caring for their body, mind, and health.