Something that all young girls should have known

I have the best mother, no doubt. But, as a family who grew up in a 3rd world country, our knowledge on health issues were so limited. Education and full stomach were more our basic priority. Besides, when it comes to an abnormal physical condition, people in my community are tend to veiled about it. So I did. Growing up in my early teenage years (no, I wasn't sexual active), I experienced dicharges on my "woman thing." Back then, I wasn't internet savvy as I am now, which made my reach for information was so limited. To expose my discharges experience to my friends was gonna be too embarassing, so I usually would just kept quite about this. Worst of all, I was too ashamed to tell my mom. So I kept this on going unease feelings for yearssss to myself, and gathered information only from women magazines as I grew older (and hoping one day a friend or a magazine would start a topic on this women issue).

Now in my 25++ years old, I found out that having a discharge is very common and NORMAL for any girls. People have different hormone productivity, different stress level, and different weather adaptation level. For the past year, I have been very worry with my inconsistent menstrual cycle and various discharges. It might be caused by the stress I have or it may be something else. I just don't know. So I went for check up with my family physician (I have to wait for a month to have an appointment with my gynecologist, sigh!) two months ago, and finally did my FIRST PAP smear test! Can you believe that? My very first one at this very age. For this reason, I feel the need to spread the words, especially to young women who are limited to information.

PAP smear is an annual test to check for signs of cancer of the cervix (one of the cancer for women), by taking a sample of cells from your cervix to be tested and examined. Every young women who already started their first menstruation, or reached age 18, or has been active in sexual intercourse should start taking a regular PAP smear test every year. Although a PAP smear test may missed on a cell that shows cancer signs, but a collective of 2 to 3 pap smear test wouldn't miss on cancer cells, which is why it is important to do a regular check up/PAP smear every year. It is best to find out any cancers in their early stage because they are still cureable.

Another thing I just found out when I was in the clinic's waiting room, gardasil. Gardasil is a cervical cancer vaccine for young women ages 9 to 26, that helps protect against 4 types of human papillomavirus (HPV): 2 types that cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and 2 more types that cause 90% of genital warts cases. WOW!! This has pushed me hard back on my seat. I felt so sad, I have been going through the years of uncomfortness and worryness, and no one had ever told me about any of these; genital warts and cervical cancer.

Remembering my fond of Indonesia's girls' and women's magazines back in my teen and early-20s years, I don't think those magazines ever published any advertising nor articles on these issues and protections. They should have, especially since these magazines have become most of girls and young women's around the nation (Indonesia) best friends for many years.

For more information on PAP smear, cervical cancer, and GARDASIL please go to these websites or consult regularly to your physician/nurse:

• http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/cervical/
• http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_cervical_cancer_8.asp
• http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/cervical-cancer-topic-overview
• http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/pap-test.cfm
• http://women.webmd.com/guide/pap-smear
• http://www.medicinenet.com/pap_smear/article.htm
• http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/138.html
• http://www.gardasil.com/
• http://pediatrics.about.com/od/immunizations/p/06_gardasil.htm
• http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01885.html