‘No Woman Should Die from Cervical Cancer’ – WRHA Coordinator

With hundreds of women in Jamaica diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) is urging greater uptake of screening to ensure early detection and reduce the number of deaths from this preventable disease.

“Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women worldwide and also in Jamaica. We think that no woman should really die from cervical cancer. If we detect it early, if we treat promptly, then no woman should die,” said Regional Non-Communicable Disease Coordinator at the WRHA, Dr. Marcia Johnson-Campbell, in an interview with JIS News.

She explained that cervical cancer occurs when “there is an abnormal growth of the cells of the tissue in that area we call the cervix, the neck of the womb”.

The cervix, she noted, opens into the vagina and is located at the lower part of the uterus.

Citing data from the Global Observatory of Cancers (GLOBOCAN), Dr. Johnson-Campbell informed that in 2022, there were 376 new cases of cervical cancer in Jamaica with about 236 women dying.

“This is an increase that we’ve been seeing, and it is of concern because we believe that cervical cancer is actually a preventable cancer,” she said.

She noted that women ages 21 to 64 are encouraged to begin screening and do so every three years. Women are also encouraged to start screening for the disease three years after becoming sexually active.

Persons, who are high-risk are encouraged to screen annually. These include individuals who are HIV positive, who began having sex at an early age, have multiple sex partners, have had more than three children, have a family history of the illness, or who smoke.

Dr. Johnson-Campbell noted that currently, the pap smear is the primary screening method in Jamaica.

“There is also the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test… and visual inspection with acetic acid has been used in some areas, but the primary screening test at this time is the pap smear,” she said.

Despite the availability of screening, Dr. Johnson-Campbell told JIS News that the uptake is low.

“Maybe about 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the persons who need to do a pap smear are actually getting one done,” Dr. Johnson-Campbell pointed out.

She said that fear, discomfort, and long wait times for results discourage some women, but says “that should not be used as an excuse… it is better to actually do it”.

Dr. Johnson-Campbell informed that the National Health Fund (NHF) provides a $1,300 subsidy for pap smears, and women can access the test at public health centres and private facilities.

“You just need an identification (ID) and a Tax Registration Number (TRN) and within 15, 20 minutes, you can get that [NHF] card and use it for a subsidy. It’s very simple and easy,” she said.

Dr. Johnson-Campbell also highlighted the importance of the HPV vaccine.

“HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer and there are no symptoms. So, we have been, since 2017, giving the HPV vaccine… to girls and boys starting from nine years old,” she shared.

“When you lose a mother, a sister, an auntie to cervical cancer, it is a painful experience especially knowing that it is preventable,” she said.