In the shade of a rose

Sylvia was waiting for her doctor with her daughters, 12 and 15, in the hospital garden. A lovely rose bush caught her eye. She caught herself silently affirming how the rose could unmistakably evoke the feel of life’s indelible mark, its promise, and its beauty. Vibrant and deeply poignant, no wonder the rose is always asked to lend its character to describe women and their lives. But this was a hospital and Sylvia also took note that there were obvious reminders that there are also stories of pain that are lived in the shade of a rose.

Sylvia feels so richly blessed that she has two daughters who are both links to the chain of women in their families. But she also knows that her family, including her mother, aunt, and cousin, have themselves lived stories of struggle with cancer. She knows that that kind of history increased her and her daughters’ risk of having some form of the disease. This constant awareness led her to these annual visits to the doctor for her and her two daughters. This year’s visit, she knew, was special.

Sylvia learned that a battle has recently been won in the fight against one form of cancer that kills women and she was determined to have her daughters gain from this triumph in medical science.

Cervical cancer can now be prevented with a vaccine. This means that this cancer need no longer be a threat to the lives of girls and young women.

In the Philippines, women die of cervical cancer at a rate that has remained unchanged for the past 20 years. Of the total new cases of cervical cancer each year, one of every three dies within a year and three out of four women will die in five years after diagnosis of cervical cancer. This is mainly due to late detection, lack of awareness about the disease among Filipino women, and the stigma associated with cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix (the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina). It is caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are several hundred types of HPV, and when a female becomes infected with certain types of HPV, specifically 6, 11, 16, and 18 and if the virus doesn’t go away on its own, abnormal cells can develop in the lining of the cervix. If not discovered early and treated, these abnormal cells can develop into precancerous lesions, genital warts or, depending on the HPV type, cervical cancer.

But this story of pain need no longer happen in the shade of a rose. Cervical cancer is highly preventable through healthy lifestyle, screening, and vaccination. Now, a vaccine can effectively disarm some of the lethal arrows of time — the ones from the future. Gardasil, the world’s first and only vaccine, is now available in the Philippines, and can help protect young girls and uninfected young women against cervical cancer and other devastating diseases caused by HPV infection.

Like other vaccines that Sylvia’s daughters have received in childhood, Gardasil works to help prevent illness. Gardasil works when given before there is any contact with HPV Types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Sylvia believes she can empower her daughters by talking to them about the realities of the sexual lives of women, but much as she tries with all her maternal might to talk to them about sexual abstinence, she knows that she does not and could not completely control the future seasons of her daughters’ lives.

Sylvia also knew that there was no guarantee that their future husbands will not be carriers of the cancer-causing HPV. With the advent of this new vaccine, she felt that her young daughters would not have to live with the threat of the disease under their shade. Today, her daughters can have the upper hand if she talked to them about getting the vaccine now, before they are even old enough to worry about HPV-caused cervical cancer.

Sylvia is fully aware of the medical wisdom associated with this new triumph against cervical cancer: that vaccination, a primary prevention tool, should always be integrated with any existing screening program, such as the Pap smear. This means that alongside screening, it will reduce the risk of cervical cancer further, and will also significantly reduce the number of abnormal screening results requiring follow-ups.

Sylvia heard the doctor’s secretary call their last names. Their doctor should be the one to tell them about options for cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination. Sylvia put her arms around her daughters and guided them toward the clinic’s door. She felt a velvety relief inside her knowing that there is now a vaccine so that her daughters will never have to live with the threat of cervical cancer under the shade of the rose.

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HPV Types 16 and 18 cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases while HPV Types 6 and 11 cause 90 percent of genital warts cases. Gardasil may not fully protect everyone and does not prevent all types of cervical cancer, so it is important to continue regular cervical cancer screenings. Anyone who is allergic to the ingredients of Gardasil should not receive the vaccine. Gardasil is not for women who are pregnant. It is given as three injections over six months and can cause pain, swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site, fever, nausea, and dizziness. Only a doctor can decide if Gardasil is right for you or your daughter.

For more information about cervical cancer and how to prevent it, consult your doctor.

For more info about the vaccine, see www.immunizers.com.ph or call tel. 744-5552/5553.