A controversial social campaign to raise awareness about cervical cancer and to encourage Pap test checks by top model Poonam Pandey – who pretended to be dead following a uterine tumor – has rekindled attention on the importance of prevention of HPV or Papilloma Virus. An infection that is transmitted sexually and is growing among younger people, it is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. In Italy there are an estimated 5,000 new diagnoses per year of tumors caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), of which almost half are cervical tumors. And 2,500 deaths have been recorded for all tumors of the uterus (body and cervix).
Knowing the risks, having careful and protected relationships and undergoing Pap tests represent a first step towards prevention. However, according to data released by the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom), in Italy less than 80% of women carry out these tests which can be carried out voluntarily or within organized courses. For example, only 37% of invited women actually undergo the free cervical screening offered by the Regions. To prevent the risk of infection, the Istituto Superiore Di Sanità recommends the vaccine from 9 years of age. Those available today, bivalent and quadrivalent, are indicated for the prevention of precancerous genital lesions of the uterine cervix, vulva and vagina and cervical cancer caused by HPV 16 and 18. The quadrivalent vaccine is also indicated for the prevention of lesions preinvasive and invasive anal infections from HPV 16 and 18 and for the prevention of condylomata acuminata from HPV 6 and 11. The most recent, a new vaccine called 9-valent, recommended to all, ensures protection against 5 other oncogenic serotypes (1 , 33, 45, 52 and 58), in addition to types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Precisely because there are hundreds of types of HPV, it is important to regularly carry out early oncological diagnosis tests through the Pap test, which allows the lesions to be identified precancerous, and through the HPV test, a test used to look for traces of the DNA of the HPV virus at risk of oncogenicity.
Meanwhile, the choice of top model and actress Poonam Pandey, who pretended to be dead following uterine cancer, only to reveal that it was a stunt as part of a campaign to raise awareness about prevention with PAP test. “Poonam Pandey bravely fought the disease and passed away,” said her announcement posted on her Instagram account on Friday. The news had sparked a wave of condolences among her followers (over 1.3 million), hundreds of heartfelt messages from Bollywood stars, while the entry dedicated to her on Wikipedia was also updated. Over the weekend, Pandey reappeared and justified her choice by inviting all women to have a Pap test. However, her social media users rebelled, with many accusing her of wanting to advertise with an “unethical” choice and of having treated death superficially.
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