[SEGi] Cervical Cancer Awareness Talk & Campaign

[SEGi] Cervical Cancer Awareness Talk & Campaign

Dr. Surinder Kaur Gill, speaker for the Cervical Cancer and Primary Care & Family Physician at KSLMC, speaks at the SEGi University regarding the HPV virus.

Cervical Cancer is the 2nd most common cancer among Malaysian women, in understanding the importance of its awareness amongst young adolescents SEGi University College today organised a talk and awareness campaign on Cervical Cancer.

The event held at SEGi University College’s Multipurpose Hall (MPH) was attended by more than 250 students from various faculties, including lecturers and SEG International staff.

Organised by SEG International’s Learning & Development department, the event was supported by Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD), Alpha Specialist Centre and sponsored by Lecka Lecka (M) Sdn Bhd.

According to a research conducted, each year there are more than 500,000 women worldwide who are diagnosed with Cervical Cancer and more than 270,000 succumb to this terminal illness, the cancer which is caused by a virus known as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

The HPV is a common virus that affects both females and males, with more than 100 types of the virus. Most types of HPV do not cause any symptoms and are cleared within months of prescribed medication.

Individuals with HPV may not show any sign of cancer for duration of 20 years, hence making it almost impossible to detect should an individual have Cervical Cancer without going in for a pap-smear test.

According Dr. Surinder Kaur Gill, speaker for the Cervical Cancer talk, most female patients do not go in for a regular pap-smear test because they are afraid or sometimes even shy; “the only way to detect an abnormality is through pap-smear, and if patients shy away, there is no way screen for HPV.”

Dr. Surinder Kaur Gill, certified in Woman & Reproductive Health from the Academy of Family Physicians Malaysia (AFPM) practices at KL Sports Medicine Centre (KLSMC), is also a Clinical Tutor at Monash University’s Medical School Malaysia.

Dr. Surinder stressed that it is important for individuals who are sexually active to seek vaccination to prevent HPV infection, this also reduces the risk of cervical cancer and other HPV related diseases; adding that “Ideally females should get the vaccine before they are sexually active, as the vaccine is most effective up to a rate of 99% in women or girls who have not yet acquired any HPV virus.”

The vaccine was offered at a special price at Alpha Specialist Centre to all SEGi students and staff who registered at the event, the special pricing is valid till 28 November 2009.