PM’s wife urges Turkish men to remain faithful to help fight against cervical cancer

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

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Sare Davutoğlu, the wife of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and a gynecologist, has urged Turkish men to remain monogamous, saying the HPV virus, which is one of the main causes of cervical cancer, is initially transmitted to women by their husbands after they have had an affair with an infected person.

The 15 types of 200 different HVP viruses have the ability to cause cancer, she said at a symposium against cervical cancer in Istanbul on March 16, calling on men to fight against the disease as well as women.

“I believe it is wrong to put responsibility only on women. Men have also very important responsibilities on this subject. Because this virus is passed to women from their husbands 95 percent of the time,” she added.

Davutoğlu reminded men of their responsibilities regarding monogamy in order to protect the health of themselves, their wives and their families.

She also stressed that early diagnoses of this virus can often prevent it from developing into cancer.

“This virus does not cause cancer rapidly in most cases. It is possible to prevent most cases theoretically if we detect HPV earlier, recognize the lesions that can turn into cancer, and treat them. That’s why women should regularly have check-ups,” she said.

Engaging in sexual intercourse at early ages, genital warts, smoking, taking birth control pills for a long time, and low educational and socioeconomic conditions all increase the possibility of being diagnosed with cervical cancer, Davutoğlu also claimed.

Cervical cancer is the fifth most common type seen in women aged between 25 and 49, she added, underlining that preventing it was hugely important not only for women’s health but also for society as a whole.