Awareness or affordability: Why are cervical cancer screening levels low among Indian women? | Data Point podcast

 In this episode, The Hindu speaks to doctors to understand the link between HPV and cervical cancer, and why screening rates are so low in India, compared to other countries. They say one major reason why women don’t get screened often, or at all, is because while women are predominantly viewed as caregivers, they often do not prioritise their own needs. While on the one hand, they want more women to get screened, when it comes to vaccination against HPV, they want it to be gender-neutral. They also discuss the need for greater awareness and a structured state intervention programme to boost screening and vaccination.

Guest: Dr Aravind Krishnamurthy: Head of Surgical Oncology at the Cancer Institute, Chennai

Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar: President-Elect of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) 

Credit to Sonikka Loganathan and Rebecca Rose Varghese