Free HPV tests target married women, nearly 500 screened

Nearly 500 women were tested this month in a screening drive at Phnom Penh’s Calmette Hospital for human papillomavirus (HPV), two strains of which are known to cause cervical cancer, but the free Pap smear was advertised as being available only to married women. Hav Monirath, head of the public hospital’s pathology laboratory, said the hospital recently completed two rounds of free screenings, testing a total of 490 women between April 9 and April 20 with lab testing kits donated from a Singaporean company. Ms. Monirath said the free tests were publicly offered to married women since HPV is sexually transmitted, but that they hadn’t actually been exclusive in practice. “We announced that we offered the HPV testing for only married women between the ages of 30 and 60, but we did not ask them if they were married or single when they came for the free checks,” she said. “Some single women have sex too, so it was just a way to prevent single women who have sex from being embarrassed,” Ms. Monirath said. …

 Hay Pisey and Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/free-hpv-tests-target-married-women-nearly-500-screened-57082/