Wellness Guide: Cervical, Ovarian and Uterine Cancer

Reclaiming Wellness

There are many things that you can do to reduce your risk of developing reproductive cancers.

• Maintain a healthy weight. Eat a well balanced diet, drink lots of water –- 8 or more glasses per day, and make exercise or physical activity a permanent part of your life.

• Eat more fruits and vegetables: Eating lots of fruits and vegetables has been linked with reducing risk for ovarian and endometrial cancer.

• Hormore Replacement Therapy (HRT): Discuss with your doctor the risks associated with taking estrogen only as an hormore replacement therapy.

• Stop smoking: Smoking can increase your risk of cervical cancer. For many us smoking is one of the ways we handle stress. The best way to reclaim your wellness is to quit altogether but quitting can be hard. Sometimes you have to quit more than once to quit for good. There are a lot of programs that exist to help you quit smoking, including many that are lesbian friendly.

• Practice safe sex: If you are sexually active, use a condom on sex toys, change condoms before sharing toys, and wash toys thoroughly after use. Use a barrier like a dental dam, or finger cot or latex gloves when doing an activity that involves bodily fluids. No protection method is 100% effective but these tips will help prevent transmission of human papilloma virus (HPV) between you and your partner(s).

• Talk about it: Be honest with your doctor if you are afraid to get a Pap test. Tell them that they may need to use a smaller speculum. Bring someone with you to keep you company in the waiting room, or hold your hand during the examination, or to be with you after the exam. Try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation before your exam.

   

  
  
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