FIRST BOOKS LEARNING CENTER Lot 24 Block 6 Phase 1 Soldiers Hills Molino, Bacoor Cavite Tel # (046) 5028331

SEPTEMBER MEDICAL ADVISORY Sahara Villanueva was 39 years old when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. "I asked, 'Lord, why me? What did I do to deserve this?," she asked herself after the doctor told her about her condition in January 2007. She said she did not believe the doctor's words. Here she was, healthy and without an illness, and then all of a sudden, diagnosed with cervical cancer? She said that since she took care of her mother, she and other family members became more aware of living a healthy lifestyle. They ate organic food and simply lived healthy lives. "I thought that I was immortal, and since I didn't got sick, I was healthy. That was a fallacy," she said, saying that until she was diagnosed with cancer, she entirely focused her life on her job of 18 years. The realization, as is often the case, came late. "I was pushing my body and pushing my body without realizing that my immune system was getting weaker Following the diagnosis, Villanueva stormed out of the doctors office. "What did I do?" she remembered herself asking.

Cervical Cancer remains to be one of the leading malignancies among Filipino women. High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types, such as 16 and 18, are consistently identified in Filipino women with cervical cancer. Factors identified to increase the likelihood of HPV infection and subsequent development of cervical cancer include young age at first intercourse, low socioeconomic status, high parity, smoking, use of oral contraception and risky sexual behaviors. Every eight minutes, a Filipina dies of cervical cancer in the Philippines. "The incidence rate and mortality rate hasn't changed for the past 30 years, so far, only 12 percent of Filipinas are screened for cervical cancer. As in Villanueva's case, the low screening rate can be traced to the fact that women claim they are too busy for tests plus the belief that a healthy lifestyle is enough to ward off illnesses. It is a must for every sexuallyactive woman to have a regular check up since cervical cancer shows no symptoms at its early stage. In its advanced stage, there is abnormal vaginal bleeding, watery and foul-smelling discharge, pelvic pain and urinary or bowel problems. However, eighteen percent of the time, there are no symptoms when the cancer is in the advanced stage. Two-thirds of the time, our women are diagnosed very late, because not many Filipino women know about the disease, that it is preventable and can be cured when detected at the onset. A MUST FOR EVERY GAL Two prophylactic HPV vaccines are registered and marketed in the Philippines that prevent against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 (Gardasil) and against types 16 and 18 (Cervarix). HPV vaccination has been approved in the Philippines with new efforts to integrate primary prevention at the forefront of cervical cancer control. These vaccines can prevent cervical cancer up to 100%. The approved age range currently is from 9-26, but older women can get it, too at 0, 1, 6 months. In line with this, I would like to offer Cervarix vaccines at a minimal cost of P3000.00 per dose. For schedules of vaccination and other questions, you may text or call me at 0929-5640765 or you may call FBLC. If you love yourself, be PROTECTED, get VACCINATED!!!

Karen Kristine V. San Juan M.D. School Physician