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The human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common badually transmitted infection, is the leading cause of 99.7% of cervical cancers. In Kenya, according to the Ministry of Health, the disease kills 2451 people each year, but it is one of the few cancers against which the virus can be vaccinated. Yet, many women do not choose this option.
Millicent Kagonga, Jane Wambui and Rose Chiedo all wish to be immunized against HPV. All three are survivors of cervical cancer.
Jane Wambui, now 47, had attended a random public screening at Sigona Golf Club in Kiambu in 2012 when she tested positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV).
"I did not hurt. It had been said that all women should have these checkups from time to time. So I just gave samples, "says Jane.
Two weeks later, the results came back. "I had HPV," she says. "I then did a biopsy to determine if I had cervical cancer."
The results of the biopsy showed that she had stage 1 cervical cancer. She said, "I was stunned to have cancer. But I was also grateful that it was discovered early enough. "
For treatment, Jane's doctor proposed a total hysterectomy – removal of the uterus and cervix.
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Jane, a 4 year old mother, has consented and the procedure is over. Without the uterus and cervix she would not have to worry about the recurrence of the disease.
Unlike Jane, Millicent is not out of the wood yet. Cervical cancer was diagnosed in 2015 at the age of 25 years.
Millicent was invited by her employer (she was working as a housekeeper) to be checked after years of unusual dismissal.
The discharge was so painful that her husband left complaining that Millicent was constantly wet.
"The first hospital I visited (a public level 5 facility) told me that I did not need to do cervical cancer screening because I was young: this condition usually affects older women, "she says.
The medicine that was given to him did not clear the discharge. She had to go back to the hospital. This time, a cervical biopsy confirmed that she had stage 3 cervical cancer.
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"I was so heartbroken," she says. Like Jane, Millicent learned that she was also infected with HPV.
Millicent was badually active at the age of 13. She gave birth to her firstborn at the age of 14. His second (and newest) arrived shortly after, at 16 years old.
Millicent has undergone chemotherapy, radiation therapy and brachytherapy, and the latest tests have shown that the cancer has disappeared. However, she is struggling with an undiagnosed bleeding that occurs in pbading stool.
Rose Chiedo, whose history Eve She has already had a history of cervical cancer after a hectic marriage with a man who she says has repeatedly misled her.
"Maybe he was infected with HPV and then infected me," she said in her interview.
Why would the vaccine be important? According to the Ministry of Health, HPV is the leading cause of 99.7% of cervical cancers.
Ironically, according to Dr. Catherine Nyongesa, chief oncologist at the Cancer Center Cancer Treatment Facility in Nairobi, cervical cancer is one of the few cancers for which one can be vaccinated and protected.
Dr. John Ong'ech, Head of Reproductive Health at Kenyatta National Hospital, said the HPV vaccine should be given to girls aged 10 to 14 years.
"They are reputed to have not been exposed to the virus yet and would therefore strengthen their immunity," he says.
The vaccine, says Dr. Ong'ech, has been around for a very long time. The Ministry of Health, however, was not able to tell us if the vaccine is available in public health facilities.
"The vaccine is much more in private health facilities," said Dr. Ong'ech.
Effectively, Eve called five large private health centers in Nairobi and the vaccine was available at costs ranging from 3 891 shillings to 1 500 shillings per year.
But after a spot check, we found that few women were aware of the vaccine and its benefits. The rest had limited information about it.
Christine Khasina, a married mother of two, says she did not get the shot because she understands that the vaccine is more effective for younger women.
"If I had a girl, I would definitely make them vaccinate against HPV without the shadow of a doubt," she says.
Jeri Muchura, a mother of three, admits that she had not heard of the vaccine that would protect girls from cervical cancer.
"There is such a thing?" She asked. "I have to do some research on this."
After realizing how useful the vaccine would be for her daughters, Jerry said she would have no problem vaccinating her daughters.
Stella *, a mother of three, says she does not know much about the vaccine and is neutral about whether it's important for a woman or not.
She said, "If this vaccine was so important, why did not most women leave? Others do not even know it.
The HPV vaccine (different versions of the vaccine are available on the market) is administered in two or three doses, depending on the version used.
Cecilia Mwangi, former holder of Miss Kenya, is arguably one of the few women in Kenya to be launched into the jab.
"I knew the vaccine in 2012 when one of our loved ones had succumbed to cancer of the cervix of the uterus. I decided to get vaccinated because I think all women are exposed to the virus, "she says.
"I think the problem is the stigma that would be related to the vaccine. People would be quick to judge that, on receiving the vaccine, one is preparing to be promiscuous. This is not the case. HIV has taught us that even an innocent and faithful housewife can become infected when a deceitful husband brings the virus home. I would rather be safe than sorry, "says Cecilia.
The vaccine is effective in women who have not yet been exposed to the virus, says Dr. Nyongesa.
"That's why it's highly recommended for teenagers from 9 to 14 years old. However, women of all ages can receive this vaccine. Women who have been badually exposed, however, will need to be tested to show if they have ever been infected with the virus. If they do not, then they become eligible to receive the vaccine, "she says.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control recommend that the vaccine be administered to many people until the age of 26. Last October, the US Food and Drug Administration announced that the HPV vaccine was now approved for people aged up to 45 years old.
That cervical cancer is lethal is not a debate. In fact, cervical cancer is the most deadly cancer in women in Kenya.
In the latest Globocan report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, cervical cancer was responsible for 12 of every 100 deaths in Kenya, just behind esophageal cancer.
In comparison, bad cancer is responsible for only 9 out of 100 cancer-related deaths in the country, while it is the most common type of cancer, accounting for 12.4% of all new cases of screening.
At the Texas Cancer Center, in 2018 alone, out of 431 women treated in the facility, 354 (82%) were treated for cervical cancer.
"Cervical cancer may not be the most prevalent, but it is more lethal because it is responsible for more deadly complications such as anemia, kidney failure and infections" says Dr. Nyongesa.
She adds that patients with cervical cancer have swelling of the kidneys: badociated with significant morbidity in patients with the disease.
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