BANGKOK, 5 April 2013 All Thai women can take a cervical cancer test free of charge as the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has recently included the rights for Thai women to receive the preliminary examination without having to pay a penny.
According to the NHSO, 14 Thai women die of cervical cancer each day, even though it is a type of cancer that can be easily detected and cured when it is still in an early stage. Surveys show that most Thai women are afraid of taking a Pap smear test because of an estimated high price of the service and their shy habit about their bodies.
The NHSO further stated that the number of deaths resulting from cervical cancer is rising continuously. For this reason, it has coordinated with S.H.E. clinic, which belongs to a community health organization, to develop medical equipment which facilitates the test within a minute. Additionally, the test kit can be used only once, leaving no infectious problems. The NHSO advises that women who have ever been sexually active should take the test once a year as HPV, which causes cervical cancer, is transmitted to women only from men through sexual intercourse.
