STIs and Gynecologic Cancers in Focus

 

Essentials of Screening and Prevention

In the past two years, our time, efforts and attention were consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic response.  We were preoccupied by observing the minimum health protocols, triage algorithms, supplies of personal protective equipment… and other things short of saying that COVID-19 has changed our lives, and we will never the same again.

However, life must go on and we must learn to live with COVID-19 in the new normal. 

This AOGIN Biennial Convention entitled STIs and Gynecologic Cancers in FOCUS: Essentials of Screening and Prevention looks into how we can move forward with screening, diagnosing and disclosing sexually transmitted infections and cancer amidst the pandemic. 

What to do? We need to find new ways to facilitate screening and management of sexually transmitted infections and cancers, maximize the use of available technology like telemedicine which is also included in the DOH directives for all hospitals to maintain hospital capacity for healthcare services.  We review the screening and recommendations for STIs opportunities and pitfalls. 

We focus on revisiting HPV vaccination with long term follow up studies on HPV vaccine trials here and abroad, real world impact of HPV vaccination and deployment of HPV vaccines post-pandemic moving forward.

We hope that we can get the message across that although the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to cause fear and anxiety, we need to protect our women from sexually transmitted infections and cancers – mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters may benefit from HPV vaccination and proper screening for STIs and for cancers.