EMBARASSMENT and fear are delaying cervical cancer screening among women, warns a specialist.
Hospital Sungai Buloh obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr D. Devendran Davidas said cultural sensitivities were keeping some women away from routine checks and discouraging others from reporting worrying symptoms.
He called for a nationwide awareness campaign to address these barriers and encourage women to seek medical attention early.
“We need to break the silence by spearheading an urgent health awareness campaign to confront cervical and vaginal cancers head-on,” he said.
Dr Devendran said some women assumed they were healthy because they felt no pain, although precancerous changes in the cervix could develop without obvious symptoms.
He said human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and Pap smears played an important role in cervical cancer prevention by identifying high-risk infections and abnormal cell changes respectively.
"Such findings would allow doctors to arrange further assessment and treatment where necessary," he added.
Dr Devendran said women should discuss their screening needs with their doctors rather than wait for symptoms.
He also urged them to seek prompt medical attention for bleeding after sexual intercourse, postmenopausal bleeding, unusual blood-stained discharge, persistent pelvic discomfort or unexplained vaginal lumps.
While these symptoms did not necessarily indicate cancer, he said they should not be ignored.
On vaginal cancer, Dr Devendran said the disease was much rarer than cervical cancer and had no standard screening programme for women without symptoms.
Suspicious changes could be found during pelvic examinations, with further investigations needed to establish a diagnosis, he said.
Dr Devendran said early detection could improve treatment outcomes, but efforts to encourage women to come forward must also address their reluctance to discuss intimate health concerns.
He urged women not to let embarrassment take precedence over their health.
“No woman should ever pay for modesty with her life.
“We have to shatter the dangerous stigma surrounding pelvic health across the country," he said. – September 2, 2026
