Cervical cancer is a common but preventable disease

Cervical cancer affects the neck of the womb and it is the growth of abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix. Worldwide, this disease ranks as the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women and yet is a preventable disease.

Cervical cancer ranks second behind breast cancer in low-income countries. According to WHO 2018, 33 per 100,000 women in Kenya have cervical cancer and 22 per 100,000 die from the disease. All women are at risk for cervical cancer and this disease occurs most often in women over the age of 30. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer, HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sex. Most sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives, but few women will get cervical cancer. Other factors that can increase the risk of cervical cancer are intimacy at an early age, multiple sexual partners, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and cigarette smoking.