Acetic Acid Therapy for Cervical Cancer Detection

Acetic acid was not only add savory flavor in dishes, but also useful as an early detection of cervical cancer that easy and inexpensive. Early detection of cervical cancer with acetic acid method is called IVA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid). This method has been introduced since 1925 by Hans Hinselman from Germany, but it was applied about 2005.

Health Ministry of Indonesia had already adopted it. This method is simple and inexpensive but also has a very high accuracy in detecting precancerous lesions or sores, which reached 90 percent.

Early detection by applying acetic acid 3-5 percent in the mouth of the womb (cervix), this should not only be done by a doctor, but can be practiced by trained personnel such as nurses at the clinic. And in about 60 seconds already can be seen if there are abnormalities, that is the emergence of a white plaque on the cervix. These white plaques may be alerted as precancerous lesions.

World Health Organization (WHO) has examined the application of the IVA in India, Thailand, and Zimbabwe. Its effectiveness was not lower than the pap smear.

In addition to the same performance with other tests and the results can be immediately known, IVA also offers other advantages, that is practical, requiring only simple tools, and affordable.

Inke Maris, a communications expert who is also cofounder of the Initiative Prevention of Cervical Cancer Indonesia (Ipkasi), said many health centers that can provide this IVA test, which cost about 15 thousand rupiahs ( US$ 1,60).

"In fact, some areas have already published a local regulation that sets the price is only five thousand rupiahs for the IVA examination," said Dr. Basalama Fatum, MKM, Head of Sub Directorate of Cancer. PPTM, Ministry of Health of Indonesia.

This therapy was short, about 5 minutes. Indeed, there is discomfort when undergoing this therapy. Most women feel the sensation of cold and a little cramping, or sometimes feel warm spread on the upper body and face.

Easily perform as well as treatment if it is found precancerous lesions, spurring See and Treat program increasingly being applied in a number of health centers. Expected with the IVA, will more and more women that reached by early detection of cervical cancer, so the incidence of these cancers may be reduced.    

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