I have no cutting edge but I could make you bleed.
Don’t confuse me with FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) because we both make sex a traumatic experience.
To those who hit the gym every new year, look no further ; I could make you lose weight drastically but remember not every weight loss is good.
Remember all those junk food you were cautioned not to eat? I mean the pizza, fried rice etc? I could prevent you from eating those by making you lose appetite but that does not guarantee good health.
In your diagnosis, don’t just label me as pedal oedema, I can do more than just excess fluid in your legs.
I can’t promise you motherhood but one thing I can make you experience is pelvic pain that is synonymous with childbirth.
Don’t think you know who I am yet by calling me osteoporosis because I break just a few bones. You would be so wrong.
When I advance, I engage in something that is called metastasis. That is when I spread out my wings because my environment is too small for me. Here, I behave like the colonial master or mistress (since I affect mostly females) ; I want to rule your body and conquer as many territories that are available. I could go to your abdomen, your lungs or anywhere I please.The longer you take to visit the hospital, the more time you give me to travel and explore.
My initials are CC (as in Carbon Copy). That was even in the title.
Still haven’t figured out who I am? Let me just save you the time so that you can have the chance to get tested after reading this. People gave me the name – “Cervical Cancer” because I am an autonomous overgrowth of cells at the cervical region of a woman’s body. In most of my adventures, I usually travel with a virus – it could be HIV or HSV. However, HPV is my closest alibi in most cases.
The following activities are termed low risk but it doesn’t mean I can’t use these as a medium to get to you – multiple pregnancies and the use of oral contraceptives.
Lest I forget, this is to the chain smokers : “I am coming for you, it won’t be long so turn off that lighter before I hang on you like a leech.” To the passive smokers, make sure you are safe before it is too late because I could increase your risk of coming into contact with me.
Call me ubiquitous; about 70% of me is found in developing countries.
Want to know how you can escape my icy hands? Well, it’s simple! Just draw closer to that Pap smear.
Don’t wait till we get to the surgical, radiotherapy or chemotherapy stage. By then, a Pap smear can’t help you.
By : Naa Adzoa Adzeley Boi-Dsane
