Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign

C NCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN CERVICAL CANCER INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW TO STAY HEALTHY AND PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER.

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CONTENTS ABOUT US

FREQUENCY

RISK FACTORS AND SYMPTOMS

CHECK-UPS

HEALTHY CHOICES

SOURCES

ABOUT US SOLAVIEVE AND THE WORLD HEALTH INNOVATION SUMMIT (WHIS) RAISING AWARENESS TOGETHER. SolaVieve is a progressive health and technology company focused on empowering people from all around the world to live consciously, healthily, and enthusiastically.

Our international team of experienced researchers, practitioners, and creators work closely to bring you high-quality, extensively researched content that can expand your knowledge about different aspects of holistic, preventive, and integrative health. You can be confident that you are making sound decisions about your health based on facts, studies, and scientific research, as our number one priority is to consistently provide scientifically proven content.

SolaVieve, in partnership with the World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), has created this cancer awareness campaign, which aims to increase public visibility and awareness of cancer prevention.

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FREQUENCY FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY CERVICAL CANCER.

CERVICAL CANCER IS NOT RARE.

WHILE TREMENDOUS SUCCESSES IN THE REDUCTION OF CERVICAL CANCER HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED IN MANY C O U N T R I E S T H R O U G H VA C C I N AT I O N A N D S CRE ENING , C ERV IC AL C A NCE R R EM AINS A SIGNIFICANT TYPE OF CANCER GLOBALLY. IT HAS THE FOURTH-HIGHEST RATE OF CANCER INCIDENCE IN WOMEN WORLDWIDE, AFFECTING 604,127 WOMEN AND RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF 342,000 WOMEN IN 2020.

CERVICAL CANCER AFFECTS WOMEN OF ALL AGES.

IN 2018, THE GLOBAL AVERAGE AGE AT DIAGNOSIS OF CERVICAL CANCER WAS 53 YEARS. THIS AGE RANGES FROM 44 YEARS (VANUATU) TO 68 YEARS (SINGAPORE). THE GLOBAL AVERAGE AGE AT DEATH FROM CERVICAL CANCER IN 2018 WAS 59 YEARS. CERVICAL CANCER RANKED IN THE TOP THREE CANCERS AFFECTING WOMEN YOUNGER THAN 45 YEARS IN MOST COUNTRIES.

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FREQUENCY FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY CERVICAL CANCER.

THE INCIDENCE OF CERVICAL CANCER IN THE WORLD IS NOT HOMOGENEOUS.

CERVICAL CANCER IS THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED CANCER IN 23 COUNTRIES AND IS THE L E A DI N G C AU S E O F C A N C E R D E AT H I N 3 6 COUNTRIES, MOST OF THEM IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, MELANESIA, SOUTH AMERICA, AND SOUTHEASTERN ASIA. MALAWI (EASTERN AFRICA) HAS THE WORLD'S HIGHEST INCIDENCE AND MORTALITY RATE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IN NORTHERN AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAQ, CERVICAL CANCER INCIDENCE RATES ARE 7 TO 10 TIMES LOWER.

THERE IS DATA THAT ESTABLISHES THAT THE INCIDENCE OF HPVASSOCIATED CANCERS VARIES ACCORDING TO THE ETHNICITY AND RACE OF THE WOMAN.

THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) STATES THAT IN THE UNITED STATES THE RATE OF PEOPLE CONTRACTING HPVASSOCIATED CANCERS VARIES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY. BLACK AND HISPANIC WOMEN HAVE HIGHER RATES OF HPV-ASSOCIATED CERVICAL CANCER THAN WOMEN OF OTHER RACES AND NONH I S PA N IC W O M E N , P O S S I B LY B E C AU S E O F DECREASED ACCESS TO SCREENING TESTS OR FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT.

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RISK FACTORS AND SYMPTOMS CERVICAL CANCER IS NOT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED.

HPV INFECTIONS EXTREMELY COMMON.

CERVICAL CANCER, JUST LIKE ANY CANCER, IS NOT TRANSMISSIBLE FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER. INSTEAD, CANCER DEVELOPS INSIDE A PERSON’S BODY CELLS DUE TO VARIOUS RISK FACTORS. OVER 90% OF CERVICAL CANCER CASES ARE DUE TO P E R S I S T E N T I N F EC T IO N W I T H T H E H U M A N PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV), WHICH IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH SEXUAL ACTIVITY SUCH AS VAGINAL SEX, ANAL SEX, ORAL SEX, OR ANY TOUCHING OF GENITALS. HPV AFFECTS BOTH MALES AND FEMALES.

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90% OF PEOPLE WILL CONTRACT IT AT SOME POINT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT HAVING HPV DOES NOT MEAN DEVELOPING CERVICAL CANCER. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT HPV SUBTYPES, ONLY A FEW OF WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE CANCER. BESIDES CERVICAL CANCER, HPV IS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE CAUSATION OF GENITAL WARTS AND CANCERS OF THE PENIS, ANUS, MOUTH, AND THROAT.

DID YOU KNOW? THE VACCINE AGAINST HPV IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR FREE ALMOST WORLDWIDE AND IS RECOMMENDED FOR BOTH MALES AND FEMALES BEFORE THEY BECOME SEXUALLY ACTIVE. THE AGE AT WHICH THIS OCCURS VARIES BETWEEN COUNTRIES BUT IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE AROUND 12-13 YEARS, ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE AS EARLY AS NINE YEARS IN THE USA AND UP TO 18 YEARS IN GERMANY.

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RISK FACTORS AND SYMPTOMS WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR CERVICAL CANCER?

APART FROM HAVING MULTIPLE SEXUAL PARTNERS, OTHER RISK FACTORS ARE: •

SMOKING;

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HAVING IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE CONDITIONS; HAVING HIGH-RISK SEXUAL PARTNERS;

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USING THE CONTRACEPTIVE PILL FOR A LONG TIME (5 TO 10 YEARS); AVOIDING SCREENINGS;

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BEING UNVACCINATED AGAINST HPV.

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CERVICAL CANCER IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF PROMISCUITY.

A HIGH NUMBER OF SEXUAL PARTNERS IS A RISK FACTOR ONLY BECAUSE IT INCREASES THE EXPOSURE TO HPV. HOWEVER, SOME FEMALES CONTRACT HPV HAVING ONLY ONE SEXUAL PARTNER.

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BECOMING SEXUALLY ACTIVE BEFORE REACHING 18 YEARS OF AGE; HAVING GIVEN BIRTH TO SEVEN CHILDREN OR MORE;

CHECK-UPS INFORMATION ON PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS AND SCREENING FOR CERVICAL CANCER.

WHEN IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE CERVICAL SCREENING?

CERVICAL SCREENING IS A CHOICE, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO PROTECT YOU AGAINST CERVICAL CANCER. IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR HPV INFECTIONS TO DEVELOP INTO CERVICAL CANCER. THIS PROVIDES SUFFICIENT TIME TO SCREEN FOR HPV AND PRECANCEROUS LESIONS, WHICH CAN BE TREATED TO PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERVICAL CANCER.

CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING IS NOT PAINFUL.

CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING (PAP SMEAR) IS A SIMPLE, QUICK, AND PAINLESS PROCEDURE. FIRST, T H E D O C TO R O R N U R S E W I L L I N S E R T A N INSTRUMENT, CALLED A SPECULUM, INTO THE VAGINA TO OPEN IT AND IDENTIFY THE CERVIX. THEY WILL THEN TAKE OFF A THIN LAYER OF CELLS USING A TINY BRUSH TO CHECK FOR TRACES OF HPV OR ANY PRECANCEROUS CHANGES.

DID YOU KNOW? THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RECOMMENDS THAT CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING SHOULD BEGIN AT AGE 25. PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AGAINST HPV SHOULD STILL GET SCREENED. THE FREQUENCY OF THE SCREENING DEPENDS ON THE COUNTRY. CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR TO KNOW IF YOU SHOULD GET SCREENED FOR CERVICAL CANCER.

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CHECK-UPS INFORMATION ON PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS AND SCREENING FOR CERVICAL CANCER.

CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING INVADES MY PRIVACY. CAN I SCREEN MYSELF?

S O M E T I M E S C E R V IC A L C A N C E R S C R E E N I N G I N VO LV E S T E S T I N G F O R T H E H U M A N PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) USING A SAMPLE THAT YOU CAN COLLECT YOURSELF. IT CAN BE DONE BY INSERTING A COTTON SWAB INTO THE VAGINA TO GET A SAMPLE FROM THE CERVIX. THIS SAMPLE THEN GETS TESTED IN A LABORATORY. IF THE RESULT IS NEGATIVE FOR HIGH-RISK HPV, THERE’S NO NEED TO GET TESTED AGAIN FOR ANOTHER 3 TO 5 YEARS. IF THE RESULT COMES OUT POSITIVE, A PAP SMEAR IS REQUIRED. BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE CERVIX, IT IS INEVITABLE THAT PRIVACY IS INVADED IN A PAP TEST. ALWAYS DISCUSS ANY CONCERNS WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR NURSE TO GET THE BEST ADVICE ON SCREENING.

SCREENING AND VACCINATION C A M PA IG N S ARE NOT HOMOGENOUS AROUND THE WORLD YET.

AS OF MAY 2020, LESS THAN 30% OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAD IMPLEMENTED NATIONAL HPV VACCINATION PROGRAMS COMPARED WITH MORE THAN 80% OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. IN SUBSAHARAN AFRICA, ON AVERAGE 16.9% OF WOMEN HAVE BEEN SCREENED FOR CERVICAL CANCER COMPARED WITH MORE THAN 60% IN HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES. THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO.

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HEALTHY CHOICES TIPS FOR DAILY LIFE TO PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER

H P V VAC C I N AT IO N C A N PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER.

OVER 90% OF CERVICAL CANCER CASES ARE DUE TO P E R S I S T E N T I N F EC T IO N W I T H T H E H U M A N PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV), WHICH CAN BE PREVENTED

BY TAKING A VACCINE. BUT REMEMBER, THAT YOU'RE STILL AT RISK OF CERVICAL CANCER IF YOU HAVE HAD THE HPV VACCINE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT PROTECT YOU FROM ALL TYPES OF HPV.

H P V VACC I N AT IO N D O E S N ’ T ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO START HAVING SEX EARLIER OR ENGAGE IN RISKY SEXUAL PRACTICES.

SEVERAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE F O U N D N O A S S O C I AT I O N B E T W E E N H P V VACCINATION AND RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR. FOR INSTANCE, AN EXTENSIVE CANADIAN STUDY OF ALMOST 300,000 TEENAGE GIRLS FOUND THAT AF TER INTRODUCING AN HPV VACCINATION PROGRAM TO SCHOOLS, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN SEXUAL INTERCOURSE BEFORE THE AGE OF 14 AND AN INCREASE IN THE USE OF CONTRACEPTIVES AND C O N D O M S , W H IC H R E S U LT E D I N LO W E R E D PREGNANCY RATES.

HANDS ON!

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HEALTHY CHOICES TIPS FOR DAILY LIFE TO PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER

THERE IS A LOT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER, IT’S NOT A MATTER OF FATE.

CERVICAL CANCER IS A HIGHLY PREVENTABLE DISEASE. HPV INFECTIONS CAN BE AVOIDED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF VACCINES AND THROUGH PRACTICING SAFER SEX (E.G., USING CONDOMS AND HAVING ONE OR A REDUCED NUMBER OF SEXUAL PARTNERS).

SMOKING IS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT BUT MODIFIABLE R I S K FAC TO R F O R C E R V IC A L C A N C E R . I T ’ S I M P O R TA N T TO K E E P I N M I N D T H E OT H E R PREVENTABLE RISK FACTORS, SUCH AS HIV/AIDS AND LONG-TERM USE OF ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES.

USING CONDOMS CAN PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER.

USING CONDOMS REDUCES THE RISK OF INFECTION WITH HPV AND THEREFORE HELPS PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER. HOWEVER, HPV CAN ALSO SPREAD THROUGH ORAL SEX OR THE TOUCHING OF THE GENITALS. THEREFORE, IN ADDITION TO USING CONDOMS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ATTEND REGULAR SCREENINGS FOR HPV AND/OR CERVICAL PRECANCEROUS LESIONS, AND FOR YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS TO GET VACCINATED AGAINST HPV.

BE HEALTHY

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SOURCES 1/2 CERVICAL CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

ARBYN M, WEIDERPASS E, BRUNI L, DE SANJOSÉ S, SARAIYA M, FERLAY J, BRAY F. ESTIMATES OF INCIDENCE AND MORTALITY OF CERVICAL CANCER IN 2018: A WORLDWIDE ANALYSIS. LANCET GLOB HEALTH. 2020 FEB;8(2):E191-E203. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30482-6. EPUB 2019 DEC 4.

PMID: 31812369; PMCID: PMC7025157.

CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION (PDQ®)–PATIENT VERSION. (2020, SEPTEMBER 28). NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE. https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/patient/cervical-prevention-pdq COHEN, P. A., JHINGRAN, A., OAKNIN, A., & DENNY, L. (2019). CERVICAL CANCER. THE LANCET, 393(10167), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(18)32470-x DONKEN, R. (2018, JULY 1). EFFECT OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINATION ON SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG YOUNG FEMALES. THE COLLEGE OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS OF CANADA. https://www.cfp.ca/content/64/7/509 GLOBAL CANCER OBSERVATORY. (2021). GLOBAL CANCER OBSERVATORY. https://gco.iarc.fr/ HENSE, S., HILLEBRAND, K., HORN, J., MIKOLAJCZYK, R., SCHULZE-RATH, R., & GARBE, E. (2014). HPV VACCINE UPTAKE AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE VACCINE IN GERMANY. HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS, 10(6), 1729–1733. https://doi.org/10.4161/hv.28450 LIU, Z. C., LIU, W. D., LIU, Y. H., YE, X. H., & CHEN, S. D. (2015). MULTIPLE SEXUAL PARTNERS AS A POTENTIAL INDEPENDENT RISK FACTOR FOR CERVICAL CANCER: A META-ANALYSIS OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CANCER PREVENTION, 16(9), 3893– 3900. https://doi.org/10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.9.3893 NHS WEBSITE. (2020, MARCH 31) WHY IT'S IMPORTANT-CERVICAL SCREENING. NHS. UK. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/why-its-important/ NHS WEBSITE. (2020, SEPTEMBER 2). HPV VACCINE OVERVIEW. NHS. UK. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine/ OGILVIE, G. S., PHAN, F., PEDERSEN, H. N., DOBSON, S. R., NAUS, M., & SAEWYC, E. M. (2018).

POPULATION-LEVEL SEXUAL BEHAVIOURS IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINE (2003–2013). CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL, 190(41), E1221–E1226. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.180628

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SOURCES 2/2 CERVICAL CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY WEBSITE. (2021, APRIL 21). THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY GUIDELINES FOR THE PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION OF CERVICAL CANCER. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/cervical-cancer-screeningguidelines.html VACCINATING BOYS AND GIRLS AGAINST HPV. (2020, OCTOBER 29). CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html VIENS LJ, HENLEY SJ, WATSON M, MARKOWITZ LE, THOMAS CC, THOMPSON TD, RAZZAGHI H, SARAIYA M, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC). HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUSASSOCIATED CANCERS—THE UNITED STATES, 2008–2012. MMWR 2016;65(26):661–666.

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