Why Kenyan women should be wary of HPV, the cervical cancer virus

As Kenyans join the globe in marking April as the awareness month for sexually-transmitted infections, there are growing concerns about the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus threatening Kenyan women.

The virus, which is still unknown to many Kenyans, has become the most common sexually transmitted virus, putting many women at high risk of developing cervical cancer.

The deadly virus, which has no cure yet and is spread through vaginal, oral and anal sex, has become so common that nearly all sexually active women get it at some point in their lives.

“The HIV agenda has been pushed so much that we may have forgotten about other equally lethal sexually-transmitted viruses such as HPV,” says David Makumi, Chairperson of the Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations and an anti-cancer advocate.

On his part, Consultant Pathologist and CEO of Lancet Group of Labs Dr Ahmed Kalebi, who frequently tests women for HPV, says that due to the virus, cervical cancer is already among the most common cancers affecting Kenyan women, causing almost all cases of the disease.

According to latest Health Ministry figures, at least 4802 new cervical cancer cases are diagnosed annually and 2451 deaths reported. The figures could be higher on the ground.  

“While HPV infection is cleared away naturally by the immune system of some people, in others the virus persists and causes cervical cancer within a number of years if no early interventions are taken.  In HIV positive women, it takes even less time for the virus to cause cervical cancer,” says Dr Kalebi, who is also a University of Nairobi Honorary Lecturer. 

Nairobi -based Consultant Obstetrician-Gynaecologist Dr Fredrick Kairithia explains that HPV also causes non-cancerous, nipple-like bumps called warts on the skin in the genital area or in other parts of the body as well as ulcerations. He says the ulcerations may make women more vulnerable to other STIs such as HIV.

 “Unlike other STIs, HPV infection causes havoc silently. It does not produce any symptoms until at advanced stages when it has caused cervical cancer. Men often carry the virus, and transmit it to women during sex. In men, the infection is linked to penile, anal and throat cancers, though cases are still rare in Kenya,” says Dr Kairithia. 

Despite the huge dangers posed by HPV, an overwhelming majority of Kenyans remain unaware of the virus and how to protect themselves.

A recent survey on women in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu by Lancet Group of Labs and research firm Consumer Options revealed that 97 per cent of women surveyed did not know HPV or its link to cervical cancer.

“Not knowing that HPV causes cervical cancer is like not knowing that HIV causes AIDS. Just like HIV testing is done to identify those infected before they progress to the stage of immunodeficiency, so should HPV be tested before women progress to pre-cancerous and cancer stages, because once identified as positive, someone can be treated,” explains Dr Kalebi,

He adds “The fact that less than 5% of women in Kenya know about the link between HPV and Cervical Cancer should be a wake-up call to all stakeholders to raise public awareness so that they can protect themselves.”

Mr. Makumi advises Kenyan women to seek regular cervical cancer screening to avoid falling victim to the deadly virus.

The screening can be done using pap smear or Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA). The two methods check if the virus has caused any abnormal changes in the cervix associated with cervical cancer and early treatment given before it becomes full-blown cancer. 

However, new technologies recently introduced in Kenya now allow women to know if they are HPV positive or not using HPV testing method, where high-risk strains of the virus are tested from cells swabbed from the vaginal and cervical area. 

This method is becoming the preferred one and has gained the backing of the World Health Organisation and some medical professional bodies in the globe.

“Women who are found to be HPV negative have virtually no risk of developing cervical cancer from HPV and can relax for at least 5 years before another HPV test is needed again. However, those found HPV positive will need closer monitoring and treatment to ensure the virus infection does not evolve into full-blown cancer,” says Dr Kalebi.

Mr.  Makumi, also urges parents to vaccinate their girls between 9 and 13 years old before they become sexually active to protect them from the virus. He called on the government to speed up its plan to roll out the national HPV vaccination program

A spot check revealed that the HPV vaccines are unaffordable to many Kenyans. In private health facilities, they cost between 1500/- and 3000/- per dose for the recommended two doses.