Kelantan women avoid cancer screening for fear of losing husbands, says board

 

Kelantan LPPKN director Zaharin Bakri said only 130 women had undergone cervical and breast cancer screening at its clinics as of April. (Rawpixel pic)

PETALING JAYA: Many Kelantanese women avoid cancer screenings as they fear losing their husbands and becoming a burden to their families, the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) said.

Kelantan LPPKN director Zaharin Bakri said as of April, only 130 women had undergone cervical and breast cancer screening at its clinics, Bernama reported.

He said the number was “very low” compared to the other states, since there are about 500,000 women in Kelantan who may be at risk of suffering from cancer.

“Many women in Kelantan are hesitant or unwilling to undergo cancer screenings because of these factors, and a lack of awareness about the services provided by the government,” he was quoted as saying.

“Yet, breast and cervical cancer are among the leading causes of death for women in Malaysia.”

Zaharin said the board has identified breast cancer in women as young as in their early 20s.

“These women were able to receive treatment because the cancer was detected early,” he said.

He also urged men to encourage their wives, mothers and female family members to undergo screening. - FMT