Women in Armenia do not hurry to participate in the free cervical cancer screening program of The United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) that was launched by the Health
Ministry of Armenia in this January for women at the age of 30-60, say UMFPA specialists involved in the program.
UNFPA has recently organized a trip to Gegharkunik, Lori, and Shirak region of Armenia for a group of journalists to get first hand view of the program's implementation. Hovhanness Chichoyan, the head of the polyclinic in Gavar, Gegharkunik region, says the free screening has been available at the polyclinic for 2 months already, but the population participates in it reluctantly.
"Previously women even refused to undergo a Pap test. Now, the situation has changed to better. Since September 2015, 470 women from Gavar and the nearby villages have applied for participation in the program. Two cases of first degree cervical dysplasia were diagnosed," Chichoyan says. As to communicable diseases, they are seasonal, he said. "Men are returning from seasonal work now bringing with them virus infections and infecting their spouses. Unfortunately, in most cases men refuse to undergo examination," Chichoyan said.
Ashot Kishmiryan, deputy head of the Martuni Medical Center, says it is necessary to raise public awareness of the program. "The program was launched in Martuni this May, but only 103 women have undergone a Pap test since then. One case of cervical dysplasia was diagnosed," he says. In Vardenik community, Gegharkunik region, the villagers are not given any references until they undergo Pap test.
Meantime, in Akhuryan, Shirak region, a gynecologist pf the local maternity center Anna Antonyan says a big number of women have undergone Pap-tests and cervical dysplasia was diagnosed among 6-7 of every 20 patients. She highlighted the role of family doctors who raise public awareness among the population. Lermontovo community, Lori region, which is populated overwhelmingly with Molokans (Old Believers), also participates in the program, but very reluctantly. A local nurse Maria Galtsyna says no case of cervical dysplasia has been diagnosed among local women for the last 15 years. "Our traditions do not allow girls have sexual intercourse before marriage," she says. Experts say 200-300 new cases of cervical dysplasia are diagnosed in Armenia every year. Meantime, this disease is among least common ones in developed countries due to screening programs and high public awareness.