Duration: 4min 15 sec

Transcript

THANDEKA: Umhlaza liqhuma elinwenwayo nelingakwaziyo ukunqandeka liye lifumaneka kwizihlunu ezithambileyo emzimbeni. Rhoqo emva kweminyaka elishumi kuyakhuthazwa ukuba abantu ababhinqileleyo ukuba bandwendwele amaziko empilo khonukuze ajongwe umhlaza womlomo wesibeleko. UMongikazi   Nomthandazo Mgqweto ecacisa.

Translation: Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells that may affect almost any tissue of the body. Because the growth of cancer cells in the cervix is invisible to the eye, women must visit their local clinic for a check up at least once every 10 years. Sister Nomthandazo Mgqweto explains.

SISTER MGQWETO:   Kubalulekile ukuba abantu ababhinqileyo balwenze olu xilongo kuba kufunyaniswa ukuba abantu ababhinqileyo. Apha eMzantsi Afrika ngumhlaza wesibini oxhaphakileyo.

Translation: It is of vital importance that women should have a pap smear to determine whether they have cervical cancer or not. In South Africa cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer for women after breast cancer.

THANDEKA: Ingaba ke zeziphi iimpawu mhlawumbi ezithi zibonakale nezithi zenze ukuba umntu afune ukwenza uvavanyo?

Translation: What symptoms should indicate to a woman that she should be tested?

SISTER MGQWETO: Ziba ninzi iimpawu kodwa eyona ithi igqame kubakho isikhalazo sokopha kakhulu apha ngaphantsi ufumanise ukuba umama wopha angayeki engekho xesheni.

Translation: There are so many but the most common patients complain about is severe and non-stop bleeding from the private parts even if one is not menstruating.

THANDEKA: Ngabaphi abona bantu abathi bavumeleke ukuba mabaze ngaphambili bezokuvavanywa okanye bezokuxilongelwa lomhlaza?

Translation: Who can access this service of screening of cervical cancer?

SISTER MGQWETO: Ukuba nje ufikelele kwiminyaka engamashumi amathathu kuyafuneka into yokokuba uze ngaphambili uzokuxilongelwa umlomo wesibeleko ubonwe ukuba unawo okanye awunawo umhlaza. Ukuze ke kulandele qho kwimimyaka elishumi into ethetha into yokuba yiminyaka emashumi mathathu, yiminyaka emashumi mane naxa uneminyaka emashumi mahlanu naxa uneminyaka emashumi mathandathu qho emva kweminyaka elishumi.

Translation: Once you reach the age of thirty, you must come forward and get tested for cervical cancer. Every 10 years you must come back for check up at 40, 50 and at 60 years of age.

THANDEKA: Ingaba kutheni iyiminyaka elishumi?   Kuba kuyafumaniseka ukuba kwabanye oogqirha abantu baya emva kweminyaka emibini? Umehluko uba phi?

Translation: Why 10 years? Some doctors see patients after 2 years. What is the difference?

SISTER MGQWETO: Kufumaniseka into yokuba apha eluxilongweni umhlaza womlomo wesibeleko uyacotha, awuvuthwa ngokukhawuleza njengezinye izigulo so uyayithatha into engange minyaka elishumi ukuya kwiminyaka emashumi mabini. Kodwa ke bekunokufaneleka into yokokuba umntu axilongwe emva kweminyaka emibini neminyaka emithathu kodwa ke iSebe lethu leMpilo alinazo izixhobo ezaneleyo nabantu bokusebenza abonaleyo. Njengokuba besekutshiwo ngaphambili       into yento yokuba noko siyacotha sithatha noko iminyaka elishumi so umntu ubonakala phakathi kwaleminyaka ukubangaba uthe wafumaniseka into yokuba inwebu or tshintsho lwe cell or amadcuntswana enyama pha   kumlomo wesibeleko usenokufumana uncedo.

Translation: Cervical cancer in particular takes a long time to develop. It’€™s unlike other illnesses. It can take 10 years up to 20 years before it can be detected but I guess people can go after two or three years for check ups but the Department of Health has limited resources and staff to work. As I’€™ve mentioned earlier on that it can take up to 10 years before cervical cancer can be detected or whether there’€™s a change in cells and a person can still be helped.

THANDEKA: Abayeni baye bangahambiselani nesicelo sikagqirha sokuba kufuneka bangabelani ngesondo namakhosikazi abo xa kufunyaniswe ukuba anezigulo ezasulelanayo zalapha ngaphantsi. Neyinto engadala iingzozi ukuba kuyekuqhutyekekwe ngesondo kuba ukuba umntu obhinqileyo uqhubekeka nokwabelana ngesondo xa enolo suleleko lonto ingabangela ukuba angaphili ngokukhawuleza. Ingaba galelo lini elinokwenziwa ngamaziko ezempilo ukukakhawulelana neengxaki ezikumila kunje unkuncedana namaqabane?

Translation: Many husbands refuse to accept doctor’€™s orders that they should not have sex with their wives if they have a sexually transmitted infection. This attitude can have dangerous consequences. If a woman continues to have sex when she has an infection, this will prevent her from recovering. What can health centres do to close this gap in understanding between couples?

SISTER MGQWETO: Ngamanye amaxesha xa umntu obhinqileyo ezile ezele ukuxilongelwa umhlaza utsho umongikazi okanye ugqirha abone ezinye izinto pha ngaphantsi mhalwumbi kufumaniseke into yokuba unamaqhakuva eiswa beka okunye udidi esithi zii STI’€™s ezinye zezifo ezilapha ngaphantsi engena mhlaza nje. Ngamanye amaxesha ufumanise into yento yokuba unentsumpa apha ngaphantsi zezinye zezinto ezibonakalisa umhlaza okanye mhlawumbi ufumanise ukuba unencidi evuzayo ngathi ke mahlawumbi bubovu kodwa ingeyiyo indlela ebonakalisa ukuba unomhlaza. Kuye ke ngamanye amaxesha kuthiwa uze ukhe uyeke ukudibana neqabane lakho ukuze nalo lizokuza lufumane unyango kuba ayizokunceda into yokuba utye unyango lwezi zifo libe lona iqabane lakho lingafumani nyango. Eneneni xa ujonga iminyaka elishumi eyadlulayo ukuzokuthi ga ngoku ayeza amaqabane kuba sekukho ngoku nesisigulo soyikwayo ngabantu abaninzi seHIV. Bayeza bafumane unyango.

Translation: Sometimes during the women’€™s screening a nurse or a doctor will notice pimples or STI infections like pus. Sometimes the screening will show cancerous tissues or sometimes something that is not necessarily related to cancer. In the case of STIs a partner will be requested to come to the clinic so that he too can get treated. Really, things have changed in the past ten years because partners are coming to clinics when they are called in because they fear HIV. They come and get treatment.

E-mail Thandeka Teyise