Published: Wednesday, 3rd September, 2008 14:20
IMMUNISE TO BEAT CANCER
By Sandy Kilpatrick
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Warning issued to young women
AN AYRSHIRE mum who battled with Cervical Cancer is urging young girls to immunise themselves against the deadly disease.
And Suzanne Fernando claims that complementary therapies such as reiki, reflexology, and crystal healing her survive her fight with cancer. Cervical Cancer is the second most common cancer among woman and kills 100
Scottish women every year.
Occurring in the cervix - the neck or entrance to the womb and is caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Around 300 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year and most cases affect women during their late 30s.
Suzanne Fernando was pregnant and carrying her second child when she discovered she had cervical cancer at the young age of 28.
She said: “It was complete devastation. Throughout my pregnancy I was very ill, and bled a lot. I knew that cancer ran in the family. I had my suspicions, and it was in my mind that it had skipped a generation.
“I didn’t want anybody to know for the fear of termination. I was just really happy that I could get to the end of my pregnancy and was able to start my treatment.
“The first set of treatment didn’t work and it was a case of trying to explain to my three year old daughter, that I might not come back from hospital, that mummy might be going with the angels.”
She added: “Staying positive as a family really does help. My husband is a listed crystal healer so he really benefited, my sister-in-law performed reflexology, and a woman who volunteered at cancer care performed ‘hands on healing’ for me.
"With the extent of my cancer I really shouldn’t be hear today. It was part of the healing process and it definitely helped me survive.”
From this week, (September 1, 2008) all girls in Scotland aged 12 - 13 years of age (S2) will be invited to receive the HPV vaccine. Girls will be given three injections in the upper arm over a period of six months to give them the best protection, and for a period of three years, all 13 to 17-year-old girls in Scotland will be invited to receive the HPV vaccine through a catch-up campaign.
HPV is spread by direct skin-to-skin genital contact during sexual activity, including sexual intercourse. Around 75 per cent of sexually active women will have been infected with HPV by the age of 50. However the vaccine does not protect against all other types, so regular cervical screening is necessary from the age of 20 years old.
Mrs Fernando said: “There’s a lot of negativity about it. A lot of mums might think ‘its going to help my daughter have sex early’, but it’s not all like that. It’s a breakthrough that can protect young girls from developing cervical cancer.
“You would think most people would be jumping at the chance for it. From my own experience, it’s not about having a lot of sexual partners. I didn’t. It’s not particularly about STDs or being sexually active. It’s just best to give them a safeguard for the futuret and taking preventive action against a deadly disease.”
Dr Theresa Carswell, Public Health Screening and Immunisation said: “I hope every eligible young girl in Ayrshire and Arran will protect themselves against HPV and take up this vaccination. it is extremly important that woman continue to attend for regular smear tests from the age of 20, even if they have been vaccinated.”
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