The See & Treat method is a cost-effective method used to combat cervical cancer. Here the method is well explained in pictures and narrated by Eva Jinek:
LINDA.nl asked Eva Jinek and Jennifer Hoffman, both ambassadors of the Female Cancer Foundation, how the vinegar method works exactly. See their reaction here. With a few drops of vinegar, women can be tested preventively for cervical cancer. Hereby a report of this interview:
AZINE
Eva explains: "With a cotton swab with a few drops of normal vinegar, you can touch the cervix. If the tissue discolors, there are suspicious cells". And just as simple as those cells can be detected, they can be eradicated: "By heating the cervix strongly, the tissue dies. Those cells then never return. Yes: it sounds like a fairy tale. But this method can save lives."
CERVICAL CANCER SMEAR
When Eva herself heard about the effect of vinegar, she "couldn't believe that this is not common knowledge". The same goes for Jennifer: "It's crazy how easy cervical cancer is to detect. Sometimes I almost doubt myself. Then I look up exactly how it works. In the Netherlands, all women between the ages of 30 and 60 receive a call from their GP to come and have a cervical smear taken, but in developing countries there is no such luxury. "That's why we want to spread this knowledge in poorer countries," Eva explains.
EXPERIENCE
"It is currently the only cancer in the world that can be completely eradicated," says Eva. "With other types of cancer, we can do a lot these days, but there is no real cure. Jennifer: "With the knowledge we have about cervical cancer, it is maddening to think that it still exists.
NO PRIORITY
Gynaecologist and oncologist Lex Peters (founder of the Female Cancer Foundation) - argues that if cervical cancer had been a male disease, it would have been eradicated long ago. Eva: "In many countries, the fight against cervical cancer is not at the top of the priority list because it does not affect men. At the same time, women in those countries are often the mainstay of the entire household or village: if they are torn away, the consequences are enormous. The care for children, for example, cannot simply be taken over by the father: he has to work to pay for them. If the village elders or midwives in such places know the vinegar method, they become self-sufficient in fighting cervical cancer."
HOW DOES IT WORK IN PRACTICE?
In the film below, ambassador Jennifer Hoffman is visiting Indonesia to show what we do in practice. And although the film is about 10 years old, this method is still relevant and successful, see our results in Indonesia.
A team of doctors and health workers visit clinics in rural communities and slums. The women are made aware of the risks of cervical cancer by local women's (health) organisations and are called up for screening. The women are also informed how to prevent cervical cancer.
Women are screened on site for cervical cancer by a doctor or nurse practitioner and treated immediately if necessary. FCF uses the VIA method (screening with table vinegar) for screening. Treatment of pre-stages of cervical cancer in the See & Treat concept is done by strong heating (thermocoagulation).
See below how we work in the field in Uganda and read more about our approach to cervical cancer and the research we do here.