Only half of Belgian women are screened for cervical cancer at least every three years, as recommended, according to a survey of a thousand women at the initiative of the pharmaceutical company MSD. However, in Belgium, the smear is fully reimbursed every three years for women between 25 and 65 years old.
“In our country, only half of women have a check-up every three years, either because they don’t like going to the doctor or because they don’t have the time.“, points MSD, which publishes the results while the month of January has been chosen by the World Health Organization (WHO) as awareness month for the prevention of this disease.
And most women know the cause of cervical cancer – HPV or human papillomavirus –they are on the other hand “insufficiently informed regarding vaccination and other means of prevention“, notes the study. The half of the women surveyed think that it is not relevant to get vaccinated following a certain age.
Every year, some 600 Belgian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer“although many cases might be prevented through screening“, emphasizes Peter van Dam, oncologist at the University Hospital of Antwerp.
“Vaccination and screening are our most important weapons in the fight once morest HPV-related cancers“, concludes the specialist.
In Belgium, vaccination once morest HPV is free for young people under the age of 18.
Belga – Photo : Belga / David Stockman
