Why it's Important for Ladies to go for Annual Gynae Check-Ups

Hey guys!

This is something I thought I should talk about because it hits so close to home. In fact, I have first-hand experience. If you are a sexually active woman then listen up!

I had a lump the size of a pea on my vulva right by the vaginal opening and it was painful even to walk. I actually found it best not to even wear underwear because even that rubbing against it when I moved hurt. I did what a lot of us do and went onto Google and horrified myself because when you Google things the search results you get back are usually exaggerations and are wrong. I had tested for HIV/AIDS and I was negative, so I figured everything was fine and it would go away. Just to be safe I made an appointment to see my "lady doctor".

I went for my annual gynaecological visit and told my gynae before the actual examination about my not so little problem.  He was surprised when he saw what I was talking about but told me not to worry. The medical examination itself was very painful when he did it. It hurt even more than when I inserted a tampon with that lump down there.  He did a pap smear and the results came back abnormal and I got a phone call a few days later to go and see him to discuss my test results.

Upon my next visit (about May) he informed me of my test results and I started imagining all sorts of awful things because my mind has the tendency to think of the worst when I get bad news. Anyways he ended up cutting sample tissue from my uterus to test and it turned out I had precancerous cells in my uterus which were the result of HPV (Human papillomavirus)!!! This can result in Uterine Cancer. As you can imagine I was shocked and all I heard was you have and STI and its messed up your uterus (not actually what the doctor said).  I was concerned about my fertility because I'm in my mid-twenties and I have no kids yet so this was a scary thing to hear. I don't know if I want kids but I would like to have an option, you know? I'm was used to getting bad news so I wasn't particularly upset and I was just like "so what's the next step?"

I was advised to speak to my family because I was going to require a minor surgery to remove the abnormal cells. I say minor surgery because they did not have to cut me open, they did all the cutting inside. If I remember correctly the procedure is called a LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure) procedure. I went for the operation at the beginning of June if I remember correctly. It was my first ever serious operation because the only other times I have been in hospital were when I was born (I was in an incubator for like a week, but that's a story for another day) and when I had my wisdom teeth removed. 

The last thing I remember is being wheeled into the surgery. I was brave up until I started to go under then I started praying profusely. I'm not even that religious but I have heard many have gone in to hospitals for minor surgery and never come out; which was a scary thought. The healing after surgery wasn't bad and I went to work the next day. It was like having a period and surprisingly the only time I felt any pain was when I had to pee. The pain could be described as more of a burning sensation.

I did my operation at Life Hospital in Beacon Bay, East London and I must say the service was on par. The staff was great and friendly and the facilities are top notch. I have heard a lot of people talk about how hospital food sucks and I would have to disagree.

The reason why I am saying it is important to go for your annual check-ups is because it's better to find these things sooner rather than later. I did not have to go for major surgery I am just lucky the abnormal cells were found before they caused any major damage. The signs that something was off down there were there but I stupidly ignored them. I had had sex a few months prior to my check up and I remember feeling pain that I couldn't understand during the act. That pain was actually a symptom. Other symptoms include pain during urination as well as pelvic pains.

There is a vaccine available to prevent HPV which girls can get from the ages of 12 to about 26. I didn't even know there was a vaccine until I had actually been diagnosed and by then it was obviously too late. I would advise young women to go and get vaccinated as soon as they can. You can contract HPV and not show symptoms for years and as they say prevention is better than cure.

According to an article I read in Life Healthcare magazine's Spring 2018 issue; there are about 6000 women in South Africa who are diagnosed with cervical cancer per year!!! The article further stated that approximately 60% of sexually active adults have HPV so the HPV virus is more common than I thought. Many people have HPV but they just don't know it and won't until their immune systems weaken. For more information please go to www.lifehealthcare.co.za. The earlier you detect any type of cancer, the better your chances are of beating it! Don't be embarrassed when you start to experience anything out of the ordinary in your nether regions; speak to a doctor and make sure that everything is as it should be.

So ladies please go and see a gynaecologist at least once a year just to see that everything is alright with your sexual and reproductive health. STI's and STD's are nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn't mean you're a slut if you get them. In fact you can contract it and not experience any symptoms for years. Please take care of yourselves.