The real fight

Human nature has made man and woman very different intricately. It is such a wonder how we, the women, are given the task of childbirth and many other natural occurrences as compared to males. However, being a woman is not all about the glitz and glamour but a whole life that needs to be taken care of.

When I was young I envied young boys for their free spirited hearts. Being a girl was a pain because of how society dictated us to be - pretty, prim and proper. I hated the thought of having to wear skirts when jeans existed. I didn't like how I was always asked to comb my long hair when all I wanted to do was play out in the sun.

Soon when I grew up, I learned how to take care of myself, especially how I looked and brought myself. Moreover, I learned to embrace the feminine body which God has given me.

As a woman, I possess one of the organs crucial for childbirth and found only in women. It is a vital part of a woman's reproductive system. Others may have not known this but the cervix is also a sensitive part of a woman's body.

A danger exists to this organ which may be left unnoticed if not properly taken care of. This is cervical cancer - an asymptotic disease especially during its early years. Still, the cause is unknown but it is closely linked to an unhealthy lifestyle.

I may have known patients who possess this case but I do know of a friend who terribly lost a sister due to this.

Her sister was in the prime of her years. She was always at the mall to find the latest trends in fashion or at the beauty salon to get her nails or hair done; at the same time she was juggling to be a mom. Life was fine for her until one day she complained that she had a difficulty with her capacity to urinate. She said it was painful beyond her comprehension. Immediately, she was rushed to the hospital.

It was found out that the pain was caused by the tumor of the cervical cancer and therapies were already to be rendered useless. The cancer was already in its terminal stages and remedies could have been done if it were detected earlier. It was a total heartbreak. As I recall this specific story, it gets me to wonder why we do not have a strong system against the fight for cervical cancer.

Is it taboo for Filipina women to talk about this part of their body? For whatever reason, we must open our eyes to reality that topics like these should be out in the know for everyone. For my friend, there was no clue about cervical cancer or its prevention. Now that we can be informed, we must do something for our Filipina women.

With the RH bill rendered constitutional, what's next for Filipina women is to lobby for the protection of their health. According to a closely-worked NGO that dabbles on the fight against cervical cancer, the best way to protect a woman is to have an annual pap smear test and to have a vaccine against the cancer. If we are to encourage our people to go through these tests then there should be a strong support from our health sector by lowering down the prices of these tests and vaccines.

The real fight for women is not in the household against with a lazy husband or a mediocre child; these are just part of the wonders of life. The real fight is against its own body and the norms of society. A woman can prolong her life so she may still live and serve others. Remember, if it weren't for a "she" in our lives, we wouldn't be here.