Numsa led other trade unions when it won the demand in the early 1990s for free pap smears for its women members in the engineering sector. However as Judy Madumo reports, the demand has been rolled down by women's lack of interest in having the test. Employers have been the ones to benefit!
"Last year only 20 out of about 300 women comrades in this company went for their pap smear tests, this is how bad the situation is here," pauses Shirley Kok as she struggles for her breath. "As if that was not enough", her voice heats up again, "this year no pap testing ever took place!"
Kok, a shop steward from Crabtree in Wits East, says she is not prepared to lead blindfolded followers sheepishly to their deaths. She plans to, collectively with other shop stewards, develop an awareness programme which will be driven by the company's nursing sister to put the message across.
What happened to the agreement on pap smear testing?
The engineering main agreement had an in-principle clause which called for companies to provide mobile clinics for women to undergo pap smear testing yearly. This issue was taken up by leadership in most factories when it was implemented.
For some strange reason, this provision is no longer reflected in the current agreement. According to Ike Abrahams, Regional Education Officer in Western Cape , "this does not suggest that companies should stop implementing it. It was standard practice, for companies to want to change this practice, they will have to sit down with the union and negotiate!"
But experience is showing that women are selling themselves out because some bluntly refuse to have pap smears, they simply fold their arms whilst employers unilaterally take away their hard-won right.
The tragedy of this is that while these employers continue to filibuster the implementation of this particular bargaining process, more and more women's lives are put at risk. According to the Department of Health's National Guideline for Cervical Cancer Screening Programme approximately one in every 41 women will, within their lifetime, develop this form of cancer.
What is cancer of the cervix?
Cancer of the cervix, a common kind of cancer in women, is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the tissues of the cervix. The cervix is the opening of the uterus (womb). The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby develops. The cervix connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). Progression of the disease is slow and may take as long as 10-20 years before the disease becomes invasive.
Pap smear – what is it?
When you have a pap smear test, the nurse uses a small wooden stick to gently scrape the outside of the cervix or neck of the womb to pick up cells. You may feel some pressure, but you usually don't feel pain. This sample gets examined under a microscope.
It is useful to get the result and then your health care provider (which maybe a nurse and often is not a doctor) must discuss with you in detail what happens next.
Sometimes you may have a repeat pap smear, sometimes a biopsy and some times they may decide to treat.
There are various ways to treat and it is your right to ask for details until you understand exactly what it is they intend to do. If your cells have an irregular shape they may be in the early stages of transforming into cancer. If these cells are removed early, that cancer can be prevented. The treatment given to you depends on the stage of your cancer (whether it is just in the cervix or has spread to other places) and your general health.
Why have pap smears regularly?
Cervical cancer is almost completely curable when detected early. All women who are sexually active, even if they are past menopause or have had a hysterectomy (an operation in which the uterus is removed) must have pap smears. Recent research studies have shown that it is not necessary to have a yearly pap smear.
According to Dr Sharon Fonn of Wits University's senior specialist in the school of public
How cancer of cervix is treated?
If it is caught in its early stages, the cancerous cells can be treated and cured with a laser and no surgery is necessary. However, if it is discovered in its later stages, the woman could end up having a hysterectomy – her uterus and cervix (and sometimes part of her vagina) would be removed. The longer you leave it, the more time it gives for the cancer to move into other parts of your body.
health "there are various reasons for this, some resource related but also it is very unlikely that you will have abnormalities that will not get better on their own, before that age. It is certainly NOT required to have a yearly pap smear. They do it in the USA and there it is driven by making money and litigation. The UK is
moving to every five years, the Scandinavian countries too. SA government policy is for a woman to have three free pap smears in her life time from the age of 30."
Lizzy Mathidze of the Johannesburg Health Department, confirms that "so far the Johannesburg and the Pretoria regions have implemented this programme. All local clinics within these vicinities and depending on health service capacity in other provinces, are expected to provide for screening."
What women should do?
Pap smears – every women in SA should have at least 3 in a life time starting from the age of 30 – if you want to have more you can, but you will have to pay for it yourself (unless you can negotiate with your employer) It is essential to go and get your results and make sure you understand what the findings were and what action you should take If found in the pre-cancer stages, cancer of the cervix can be treated and cured in almost every case There are many treatment options, you do not have to lose your womb if you find it early See a doctor when the following warning signs appear: Unusual or irregular bleeding Persistent discharge [these signs only appear at a late stage]
Have that pap smear!
Discuss in your workplace/local
In the light of the recent research findings that cervical cancer progresses slowly over time, should we put a demand to employers in our sectors to provide: paid time off once during the first five years to attend the State provided pap smear service during the next five year, for the company to provide free pap smears for its women Should we have a quota system that says that at least in each and every factory shop steward committee where women are organised, there is to be one female comrade to fight for women issues? Shouldn't male shop stewards in this union begin to take issues of femininity seriously by understanding them, making awareness speeches and defending them where bosses want to roll them down?
Source
Numsa News