● Mrs Cynthia Acromond

 It may come as an acquired habit over the years and the possibility of deriv­ing pleasure from it could be great but difficult to be abandoned.

Despite the feelings associated with it, sexual partners who indulge in oral sex risk contracting throat cancer.

Mrs Cynthia Acromond, a Physician Assistant who was the leader of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Creation team at the Volta River Authority (VRA) Aboadze Hospital in the Shama District of the Western Region said contracting cervical cancer could be possible if the sex­ual partner had the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) at her genitals.

Giving some statistics, Mrs Acromond told The Spectator that, about 1,140 women aged between 21 and 60 years had been screened from January 2022 to date ( January 2023) at the VRA Hospital.

She said, 35 girls and five boys ,aged between nine and 14 years, had been vac­cinated with their first doses and were awaiting second dose.

She disclosed that, one patient whose cancer was at the advanced stage had been referred to Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) for chemotherapy in 2022.

“We conduct visual inspection with acetic acid dub on the cervix for two to three minutes to see if there is any change ( aceto whiten­ing) which indicates cancer cells on the cervix. We also pap smear. That is, the test done to know if there is in­traepithelial malignant cells on the cervix,” Mrs Acromond explained.

She noted that cervical cancer was preventable and that no woman should die as a result of the disease.

She said cervical cancer was sexually transmitted and listed preventive measures such as “safe sex practices abstinence, being faithful to one’s partner and the use of condom if one cannot ab­stain,”.

Mrs Acromond assured “It is projected that cervical cancer could be eradicated by the year 2100 because of vaccination and screening for pre- cancer disease of the cervix. There are effective vaccines that can be given prophylactically.”

She said,” Early detection is treatable; that is why we are preaching prevention.

Which include vaccina­tion, safe sex practices, sex education tailored to age and culture while secondary prevention, involves screen­ing. Tertiary prevention involves treatment of the disease, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.”

The District Director of Health, Judith Naa Deide Okine, also advised the public against multiple sex partners, adding “ We need everybody on board to assist in the campaign in order to “avoid deaths caused by cer­vical cancer.”

The Medical Superinten­dent at the VRA Aboadze Hos­pital, Dr Taurus Valmont, said one strategy was to rope in commercial sex workers since they were predisposed to cervical cancers.

 From Clement Adzei Boye, Aboadze