The Canadian Cancer Society has recommended that transgender women talk to their doctor about getting screened for cervical cancer.
Canada’s largest cancer charity, run by philanthropist Andrea Seale, said there is a “very small risk” that transgender women could “develop cancer in the tissue used to create the vagina and cervix.”
The recommendation only extends to those who have had buttock surgery, a vaginoplasty, as those with male genitalia do not have a cervix and are therefore not at risk of cervical cancer. A ‘neo-cervix’, which can be made from the skin of the penis, can contract the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cancer and is the leading cause of cervical cancer.
“If you are a trans woman and have not had surgery on your buttocks, you do not have a risk of cervical cancer,” said the Canadian Cancer Society wrote in an article. “However, if you are a trans woman who has had buttock surgery to create a vagina (vaginoplasty) and possibly a cervix, there is a very small risk that you may develop cancer in the tissues of your neovagina or neocervix.” . .’
The advice goes against other cancer charities and healthcare providers. Britain’s National Health Service has told transgender women not to get screened because they “don’t have a cervix”.
The Canadian Cancer Society, led by philanthropist Andrea Seale (pictured), suggested there is a ‘very small risk’ that transgender women could ‘develop cancer in the tissue that was used to create the vagina and cervix’ ‘ and suggested they get cervical screening tests. cancer
The recommendation only extends to those who have had buttock surgery, a vaginoplasty, as people with male genitalia do not have a cervix and are therefore not at risk of cervical cancer.
The article admits that the risk is low, but since cancer can develop anywhere, they recommend getting screened. Penile skin, which can be used to create a cervix in transgender women, is also susceptible to HPV, which is the leading cause of cervical cancer worldwide.
The Canadian society says that neo-cervixes are at risk of developing cancer as both the skin on the penis and the skin on the female reproductive system can contract the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cancer. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that can be contracted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Since the skin of the penis can contract HPV, this leads to transgender women having the possibility of developing neo-cervix cancer, according to today’s medical news.
Both cisgender and transgender women can screen for cervical cancer through Pap smears.
However, not all health systems and cancer organizations recommend that transgender women have cervical exams.
He National Health Servicethe UK health system, said that ‘if you are a trans woman or a non-binary person who was assigned male at birth, you don’t need cervical exams as you don’t have a cervix’.
She also said that transgender women may be “worried about things like experiencing transphobia during the screening process,” but she encourages them to continue to seek medical care for cervical cancer. The disease kills more than 600 women a year in Canada
However, the NHS recommends screening for transgender men and non-binary people who were ‘assigned female at birth’ and still have a cervix.
UK Cancer Research she also reiterated this by saying that “trans women don’t have cervixes, so they don’t need to consider participating in cervical screening.”
‘You may hear the term ‘neo-cervix’ used to describe the tissue in the deepest part of the neo-vagina in trans women who have undergone vaginoplasty, a type of genital reconstructive surgery. This area is made of a different type of cells than the cervix in a cisgender woman,” her website reads.
However, he did not completely rule out the possibility of a transgender woman developing cancer in that region, writing: “The risk of cancer in this area for a trans woman is much lower than the risk of cervical cancer in a cis woman.” .
Cancer can develop anywhere in the body.
He American Cancer Society recommends screening for ‘persons with cervixes’. The recommendation is similar to prostate cancer, which only cisgender men get, writing that only “people with a prostate” should be screened.
The US organization did not explicitly specify whether transgender women should undergo cervical screening as it did for transgender men for breast cancer.
Despite its counterparts, the Canadian Cancer Society still recommends screening. She also said that transgender women may be “worried about things like experiencing transphobia during the screening process,” but she encourages them to continue to seek medical care for cervical cancer. The disease kills more than 600 women a year in Canada.
“Still, it’s important to take care of your health by getting the cancer screening you need,” the society wrote. “Here’s the bottom line: If you’re a trans woman who’s had buttock surgery, discuss your personal risk of cancer in your neovagina or neocervix with your health care provider, and come up with a cancer screening plan that works.” for you.’
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world, with more than 600,000 new cases appearing in 2020. Additionally, nearly 350,000 died from the disease worldwide in the same year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
HPV strains 16 and 18 cause almost 50 percent of cervical cancers.
If detected early, people with cervical cancer live more than 90 percent.