When noted broadcaster and triathlete Tricia Chiongbian first heard about “Tour of Hope,” a 500-km. bike tour that will promote awareness of cervical cancer, she lost no time in signing up.
Tricia, currently busy hosting Studio 23’s News Central, biked from Vigan to Subic Bay to help get the message across that women need not die from something as preventable and curable as cervical cancer. She says she feels strongly about being involved in the campaign against cervical cancer.
“I chose to be an advocate because women out there are not aware that cervical cancer is the no. 2 leading cause of cancer in women. I think that women need to be educated and informed about this. They should know what’s going on and the other possibilities of getting this virus. It’s easy to get this virus if you’re not careful about it. I want women out there to know that they could die from something like this. It’s nothing that we should take for granted or lightly,” Tricia says.
At the “Tour of Hope,” Tricia biked some 500 kilometers from Vigan to Subic Bay in Zambales without any complaints.
At the barrios, she spoke to groups of women but the lectures were given by the doctors. Her most important message to women is to get themselves checked for any virus whether by pap smear or other procedures.
“Get yourself checked, sometimes you won’t know that you have it, you have it na pala, don’t disregard little symptoms that you feel. It’s better to be sure and have yourself checked from the human papillomavirus. It’s simple to get yourself checked, go to a gynecologist and have yourself tested for HPV,” says Tricia, who busies herself with trainings and triathlon competitions when she has no work for TV.
Another unfortunate downside of having a cervical cancer is that once you have it, you can’t have children anymore. A woman can have the disease even at a young age, when she begins to be sexually active.
“As I said, you can get it at any age. My advice is take care of yourself, go get yourself checked, especially to women who are sexually active because the guys can transmit it to you,” Tricia says.
She also advises women, if it is possible, to abstain from sex.
“But if you can’t abstain, then go get yourself checked,” she says.