Cervical cancer and HIV: a single response



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Cervical cancer is a disease that can be prevented by vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) and can be cured if it is detected and treated in time, recalls a recent UNAIDS press release (1). October). More than 500,000 women develop this disease every year, and half of them die. If the prevention, screening and treatment of cervical cancer are not rapidly expanded, this number could be doubled by 2035! "Cervical cancer is a clbadifiable AIDS disease because women living with HIV who are infected with HPV are more likely to develop pre-invasive lesions that, if left untreated, can rapidly become invasive cancer, "says UNAIDS. "Women living with HIV are four to five times more likely to develop invasive cervical cancer." HPV infection has been found to significantly increase the risk of HIV transmission for both men and women. Nine out of ten women who die of cervical cancer live in low- and middle-income countries. Yet, most low- and middle-income countries with high HIV prevalence have only limited programs for the prevention and control of cervical cancer, says UNAIDS. "All women living with HIV should be able to access information on HPV and should be offered cervical cancer screening and treatment, if appropriate," said Michel Sidibé, Director executive of UNAIDS. In May 2018, the Pepfar Plan, the George W. Bush Institute and UNAIDS launched a joint effort through a $ 30 million partnership to accelerate action in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa , to ensure that women and girls living with HIV are a priority in national programs for the prevention and control of cervical cancer.

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