Pointing the finger
By Jaime
March 8, 2010
Isn’t it funny that whenever someone is diagnosed or dies of lung cancer, if they didn’t smoke, that fact seems to be emphasized over and over? Or the first question asked after hearing about someone’s lung cancer diagnosis is, “Did he/she smoke?” Yes, I know smoking is a huge risk factor and cause of lung cancer. But should it be on the forefront of our minds when we hear about someone’s journey with lung cancer? If the person did smoke, are they any less worthy of care, empathy or help? Of course not.
When someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, do people reflexively ask, “Well, did she breastfeed?” or “Did she have kids before the age of 30?” If someone has colon cancer, do we ask, “Is their diet full of fruits and fiber?” No; in fact, it sounds pretty silly. Yet we don’t think twice about asking questions about lung cancer. I admit, I’m guilty of this, too.
How about cervical cancer? Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which has over 100 strains. Low-risk strains can cause genital warts; high-risk strains can cause abnormal Pap smears, cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. Despite all the “One Less” commercials and vaccine campaigns, cervical cancer still has some sort of stigma on it, because it is linked to sex and a sexually transmitted infection. (HPV can still be transmitted even if condoms are used; the virus is transmitted by skin-to-skin). The controversy over Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, exemplified this. People made arguments that the vaccine would encourage promiscuity, or condone adolescent sexual activity, among other things. If this were a vaccine against stomach cancer or leukemia, would those arguments be made? I doubt it. Learn more about Gardasil, HPV and cervical cancer.
I can’t help but wonder if the stigma on certain types of cancer, like lung and cervical cancer, impedes health education, public awareness and possibly even funding for these cancers. Along with many other cancers, these two don’t get nearly as much publicity and “sympathy”, for lack of a better word, as other cancers. We don’t have products plastered with a pearl-colored ribbon on them for lung cancer; many people don’t even know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. For parents with young girls, I wonder if HPV is openly discussed. As much as we hate to admit it, do our emotions and personal judgments get in the way of shining light on the bigger issues?
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