Written by Maryam Ishfaq

HPV, also known as human papillomavirus, is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer among women. HPV attacks the skin’s external lining and can lead to health complications in the cervix, mouth, and other areas of the body. Cervical cancer has been ranked as the second most prevalent cancer among women in Guyana and the second most prevalent cancer among women between 15-44 years of age. In the past 10 years, an increase in HPV diagnosis has been correlated with cervical cancer among indigenous Guyanese women, partly due to the lack of vaccine coverage in the country. The disparities in vaccine coverage in Guyana are often associated with other underdeveloped countries in regards to global health concerns. To combat this increase in cervical cancer diagnoses among Guyanese women there needs to be a focus on addressing the crisis with proper preventive and healthcare interventions that can tackle this issue in Guyana. 

HPV attacks cells in the body by binding to receptors of a healthy cell also known as a host cell; this binding results in a widespread production of virus-ridden cells which can develop into cancer often during cell division. Most forms of cervical cancer are caused by HPV which is contracted primarily through sexual contact. For many women who contract HPV, the virus sometimes will go away with time or the virus can hijack the cell division process. Two forms of HPV related cancers are invasive cervical carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. 

According to a clinical cervical cancer screening and treatment program in Guyana, studies have shown that invasive cervical carcinoma was prevalent in 0.80% of the women, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II and III was prevalent in 5.07% of the women, and 19.3% of women had a high risk of developing HPV, peaking in women ages 20-30. With almost ⅕ of the population of Guyanese women being diagnosed with forms of Cervical Cancer being young adults, there is a prevalence among this age group of increased sexual activity and forms of contact that are tied to HPV contraction and the growing issue of vaccination against HPV. The diagnoses of Guyanese women with cervical cancer is often tied to HPV in the country, as in past decades it was hard for women to obtain proper preventative measures against the virus due to costs, availability, and scanning measures. With Guyana being a developing country, the majority of the population faces socio- economic and healthcare barriers that root many cancer diagnoses. These barriers lead to many women having no early cervical scanning or access to a healthcare provider to seek care for their health, leaving many women to battle HPV without knowing or dying without proper treatment against HPV related cancer. 

In an attempt to address this issue, Guyana has faced obstacles regarding the ongoing costs and operational context of HPV vaccine delivery that result in the process of vaccination distribution being slow and economically challenging. Guyana also has a lack of widespread HPV programs, treatment against the disease, and offers a slim number of hospitals offering cervical cancer screenings. The lack of educational HPV programs and screening in Guyana often leads to a cycle of women being diagnosed late, having preventable deaths, or receiving inadequate treatment. Without a widespread public health effort, Guyana will continue to become ill- equipped to address the growing prevalence of HPV related cancer diagnoses. The lack of preventative measures ie. vaccination and screening, not only leaves young women at risk, but also increases the likelihood of burden on the Guyana healthcare system, as treating more cases of cancer are resource intensive and require effective intervention to treat the disease. With no definitive cure for cervical cancer the ongoing rise of cases in the country can lead to negative impacts for Guyana’s women and future generations. 

In addition, the gap in preventative healthcare in Guyana highlights the broader systemic issues in the country such as limited funding for public health initiatives and has poor outreach to communities for education on HPV and its cervical cancer risks. Generally, women that live in rural areas and/or have a low income, are disproportionately affected as they face additional barriers such as issues with having access to transportation to urban healthcare facilities, financial constraints, or cultural stigma that prevents them from seeking care for their reproductive health. 

Addressing this crisis requires a multifaceted and strong approach that expands the availability of the HPV vaccine, improves healthcare infrastructure, and creates nationwide awareness to promote preventative reproductive healthcare. There should also be an increased urgency for stakeholders in Guyana to place more effort on financially supporting women in obtaining proper reproductive and general healthcare, by making healthcare investments towards treatments and educational programs. Through prioritizing these healthcare efforts Guyana can make great progress towards reducing the diagnosis of cervical cancer and bettering the health of its women population.