5 - The Power of Prevention

Summary

On paper, eliminating cervical cancer looks doable. Given the effectiveness of the three pillars of prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary, virtually no person with a cervix should die of the disease. HPV vaccination provides near-perfect protection, and for those who missed the vaccine’s age cut-off or who live in countries that can’t afford to provide it, cervical screening and follow-up resolve 90 percent of early cervical pre-cancer. Cancer can even be cured via treatment if it’s found early enough. And yet, despite the reliability of these prevention pillars, myriad obstacles stand in the way of providing consistent, well-attended programs – including widespread misunderstandings and misgivings about the HPV vaccine, a universal aversion to pelvic exams, and cultural restrictions against exposing women’s bodies to strangers. These underlying issues have long undermined efforts to eradicate the disease and diminished political will toward investing in this cause, particularly in countries or regions with meager health care budgets. Until these obstacles are addressed, simply throwing money at the problem will never be enough.