Africa-Press – Lesotho. BAM Group Foundation (BGF) hosted a stakeholders’ virtual discussion forum in an effort to raise awareness on reproductive cancer. The forum highlighted, among others,
diseases such as prostate cancer, cervical cancer and endometriosis, which seem to affect human reproduction. Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association (LPPA) Nurse Male Clinic Masakale Paramente explained that prostate
cancer is a disease that attacks males’ prostate glands. He said this type of cancer does not have symptoms because by the time it displays signs, it has
already progressed and a male will start to have difficulty while urinating and this implies that it has already moved to another stage. He added that when prostate
cancer has reached this level, a man will feel pain and discover blood while urinating. He said other symptoms include blood during sexual intercourse – especially during ejaculation – and pain
surrounding the waist. “It is not yet known what causes prostate cancer but there are leading factors that can put a person at risk of being diagnosed with
it,” he said. He indicated that some of those factors can be age, saying those at 40 years and above are at utmost risk. He noted that even males below that
age are at chances of having prostate cancer because it can be inherited. “One’s lifestyle can also pose a high risk of having prostate cancer, especially males that are obese and do not
exercise their bodies,” he informed. Paramente said the type of food people eat also contribute a lot, pointing out eating red meat and smoking as some of
risky habits. “Males are encouraged to eat fruits and vegetables a lot in order to stay healthy. ” He further encouraged regular screenings in order for them to
know their status towards the disease. Paramente cautioned that failure to identify prostate cancer on time may result to loss of manhood, which means
inability to reproduce. He further informed that testing can now be done through Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) where by a doctor only draws the blood.
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) Medical Doctor ‘Manaha Sekonyela said for woman, there is cervical cancer which impact their reproduction.
Sekonyela further said cervical cancer attacks a female’s cervix and researches have revealed that this type of cancer attacks most women in the developing countries including
Lesotho. Sekonyela said women are encouraged to go to the health centres to be tested for this cancer as it attacks every woman who is involved in sexual
activities. She said factors that can lead to females having cervical cancer are being involved in sexual activities at a very young age, having multiple
sexual partners, doing unprotected sex, and smoking. “Women who live with HIV/AIDS are also at high chances of acquiring cervical cancer because HIV decreases one’s CD4
cells. These are the white blood cells that fight infection and play an important role in a person’s immune system,” she said. She said other signs of
cervical cancer can be abnormal discharges, abnormal periods where a female goes on periods more than ones in a month and seeing blood post menopause.
She noted that there can also be blood during sexual intercourse and woman are encouraged to visit a doctor as soon as they see one of those signs as there
are treatments that protect from cervical cancer. Endometriosis Foundation Lesotho Founder ‘Makena Setho noted that there is also another type of a disease called
endometriosis, though it is not cancerous. Setho, who is also a survivor of this disease, said she was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2017 and she conducted researches on it.
Setho noted that she discovered that endometriosis is a disorder in which tissues that normally line the uterus grow outside the uterus either being in men or women, including children.
She said its signs can be very heavy periods flow in females and blood flow in males, coming out at any open area of the body. She said in children there can be abnormal nose
bleeding. Setho further said another sign in woman can be bloating, sore feet and dizziness and she said research has shown that endometriosis is not infectious as it can be inherited.
She said it takes over a decade for one to be diagnosed with endometriosis and it is also a chronic disease, though manageable. “I have learnt that in Lesotho many doctors are not
yet aware of the presence of this disease as they always assume a person might be suffering from a certain sickness once they show signs mentioned above,” she said and added that it can also affect the reproductive system.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
