Twenty-one women were examined for signs of cervical cancer when the Ministry of Health hosted its Visual Inspection with Ascetic Acid (VIA) clinic at the Parliament Office recently.
The clinic was held as part of the Cervical Cancer Awareness activities, under the theme ‘Early detection saving lives,’ a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
Medex Lurlene Ramsoondar, who is attached to the VIA Clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital, said cervical cancer is almost 100 per cent preventable and she urges women between the ages of 20-49 years to undertake the screening.
VIA entails applying vinegar to the cervix which will cause a reaction that will allow medical personnel to diagnose whether there is any evidence of disease. VIA testing and cryotheraphy are offered at most hospitals; in areas such as Bartica, Suddie and Mahaicony mobile teams are dispatched.
“These first-line treatment methods are 90-95 percent