On the Coast – Families Issue 95 I August/September 2018 | Page 19

Get to know
in older women .
years. Because HPV is
your body and your
HPV is sometimes
common in sexually
‘lady bits’, have a regular
the culprit and also
active women and
is usually transient,
“service” with your doctor, smoking increases
your risk. Symptoms
the recommended
and if you notice any
may include pain
age of screening has
changes or symptoms –
or bleeding after
been extended to
sex , the presence of
age 25 – 74 to prevent
please see your
a
lump in the vagina
overtreatment of
friendly GP
or abnormal vaginal
common abnormalities that
bleeding.
were going to resolve anyway.
Cervical cancer is extremely rare in
young women and takes 10 – 15 years
Vulval Cancer
to develop, however women of all ages
Cancer of the vulvar occurs in the
should present to their doctor if they
outside part of the female genitals and
have any unusual symptoms like vaginal
commonly develops in the labia minor
bleeding in between your periods or
(inner lips), labia majora (outer lips) and
bleeding or pain after intercourse.
perineum. Causes include HPV