Parents urged to give consent

THE Western Cape Health Department is vaccinating 9-year-old girls in public schools against the human papilloma-virus which has been linked to cervical cancer.

Spokesperson for the department Lensie Lotter said the process began on February 5 and will continue until March 15.

The department said the vaccination is a way to prevent girls from being infected with the virus before they become sexually active.

“Vaccination is safe and a preventative precaution. Vaccination is a very effective way of preventing illnesses that not only cause great discomfort, but can lead to death,” Lotter added.

The vaccination requires two doses in a six-month period and is administered by a qualified nurse and injected in the upper arm. However, pupils cannot be vaccinated without the written consent of their parents.

“The lack of signed and returned consent forms from parents and caregivers allowing us to administer vaccinations and/or do general health assessments of school-going children remain one of the biggest challenges,” said Lotter.

Athlone resident and mother of three sons Nicolette Sebastian, who has survived cervical cancer, believes that parents should allow their daughters to be vaccinated.

“The injections are preventative measures. This virus that causes the cervical cancer lies dormant for years. You never know. Unless you get tested, you don’t know. Many women die of cervical cancer.

“If I had a daughter and she had that option available to her, I would make sure she gets vaccinated.”

Sebastian was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the end of 2016. She first suspected something was wrong after she had children and she started experiencing abnormal bleeding.

“As a woman you know your body. You know when something is wrong,” Sebastian said.

She went to see her gynaecologist who could not find anything wrong, but prescribed some medication. She went back for multiple check ups with the same results. Her boyfriend suggested she get a second opinion but she was reluctant at first.

Even though Sebastian had her doubts about finding another gynaecologist, she eventually found one who was accepted by her medical aid.

“He examined me and immediately he could see the growth. It was the size of a plum,” Sebastain said.

She was taken in for a surgical biopsy and two days later received a call that she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Sebastian later went in for a radical hysterectomy in which the surgeon would remove “ovaries and everything, including 23 lymph nodes”.

After surgery she started daily radiation treatment and weekly chemotherapy treatment. She described her treatment as a long process.

“I’d have chemo on the Thursday and on Friday I felt a little bit weaker. On the Saturday I wasn’t myself. On the Sunday I was so out of it I couldn’t open my eyes. I lay in bed; I couldn’t move. It’s the type of fatigue that nobody can actually explain,” she added.

Sebastian said during the treatment the biggest adjustment had been suddenly not being able to do things for herself and having to rely on her family and friends for help.

Sebastian said that she could not have survived without the support of her family.

“I take my hat off to those who had to go through the treatment alone and there are a lot of them.”

After two months of treatment, Sebastian has a clean bill of health.

“I didn’t give up. I had too much to live for.”