Side Story 74: Concerning Cervical Cancer
Tang Chu went to the hospital for a follow-up. While waiting in the corridor, she noticed several cervical cancer pamphlets in the magazine rack.
The pamphlet explained that cervical cancer is currently the only cancer with a clearly identified cause, closely tied to HPV infection. Aside from regular Pap smears to monitor and prevent infection, young women who have not had sexual intercourse can receive the HPV vaccine, which can reduce the risk of cervical cancer by 70%. However, this vaccine is only available abroad and in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and has not yet been introduced on the mainland.
Tang Chu had heard about this. Her aunt had contracted a high-risk HPV infection, developed cervical lesions, and had her uterus removed; had it been discovered later, it might have progressed to cervical cancer.
During her consultation, she asked, “Doctor, I wanted to ask about the HPV vaccine. Can I get it?”
“You want to go to Hong Kong for it?” The doctor, accustomed to such questions, asked while writing notes. “You’re twenty-two, so that’s fine. Have you had sexual intercourse?”
Tang Chu blushed, trying to maintain a serious tone, “Just… some outer contact, but not… uh…”
The doctor was far more straightforward. “You mean you’ve had partial sexual activity, but no intercourse, correct?”
Her face nearly dropped to her chest as she nodded.
“Is it always with the same partner?”
She continued to nod, head bowed.
“In that case,” the doctor closed the chart, “have your boyfriend do an HPV test, and you should be checked as well. If neither person is infected, you can get the vaccine. If either is infected, you can’t.”
Tang Chu asked, “Can I get checked today?”
The doctor frowned thoughtfully. “Your situation is a bit unusual. HPV testing in women requires scraping cervical epithelial cells. We don’t do this for young women who haven’t had sexual intercourse, you understand?”
As a girl well-versed in such matters, she understood immediately. Cervical epithelial cells had to be sampled internally—there’s no way to do it remotely.
And so, the matter entered a deadlock.
That evening, Tang Chu told Xiao Ning about it. Xiao Ning sent a string of surprised emojis: “You two have been together so long and still just play house at the door? He must have amazing self-control! Is he alright? Wait, don’t tell me! I can’t bear the idea of my idol from youth having such a flaw!”
Can you please focus on the medical issue?
Tang Chu asked, “Is there any solution if the doctor won’t perform the test?”
Xiao Ning replied, “That’s easy. I’ll be rotating to the OB-GYN department the week after next. Come find me, I’ll do it for you. But let me warn you—I’m not very skilled yet. If something gets torn, I won’t be responsible, and your boyfriend can’t come after me.”
There was no hope of her ever acting like a proper doctor…
But when Tang Chu arrived at the hospital, she found Xiao Ning in a white coat and mask, looking quite composed—giving the impression of being cold, reticent, and hard to approach.
The sampling process… Well, best not to recall it—let the wind carry it away.
In any case, the results came back as expected: all negative, and Gao Shen was not infected. The vaccine could be administered.
He looked at the report and sighed, “Seems all the restraint was worth it.”
Dr. Ling, as cool as ever, sent a voice message on WeChat, “Just in case, don’t have any sexual contact before getting the vaccine. When are you going to Hong Kong?”
Tang Chu typed back, “After my thesis defense, I’ll go and make a trip of it.”
Gao Shen leaned in and whispered, “How about I take a couple of days off this weekend and go with you? It’s just an injection anyway.”
She smiled sideways at him, “You’ve waited this long, what’s another month?”
“A month of total abstinence…” He nuzzled her neck, “At least before, there was a little ‘snack’ to tide me over…”
Tang Chu, face flushed, pushed him away, “Small sacrifices for a greater cause. Don’t tempt me, or we’ll waste all our efforts.”
He sighed, “For your lifelong health, a month it is. Consider it self-cultivation.”
Dr. Ling sent another voice message, “By the way, you know the vaccine is given in three doses, right? One in the first month, one in the second, and one in the sixth. Will you fly there each time?”
Flying each time wasn’t the issue—the real problem was…
She glanced at Gao Shen, who looked utterly defeated.
Six months… orz
—
“Shan Shan, let’s have a boy in the future,” Tang Chu said one night, lying in Gao Shen’s arms after completing their pre-conception rituals.
Gao Shen held her close, “You prefer boys? I think little girls are cuter.”
“I like little girls too! So adorable! I was super cute when I was little! Our daughter would definitely be cute!” She waved her fist excitedly, then dropped it in gloom. “But… your family has a history of breast cancer, and so does mine. I don’t want her to bear that risk. Better to have a boy.”
“Men can get breast cancer too.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Really?”
“Of course. Men have breast tissue, just not as developed. I read it in a science article—especially men whose families have female breast cancer patients.”
Tang Chu quickly searched on her phone. It was true—about 1% of all breast cancer patients are male, and their survival rates are even lower than those of women.
“So you could get it too? I’ll have to check you every day!” Her hand rested on his chest, pressing repeatedly, “Ah! What’s this? Why is it hard and moving?”
Gao Shen moved her hand away, “That’s muscle.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” She tried to reach over again for a closer look.
“If you keep poking, there will be a problem.”
She glanced at him, then obediently withdrew her hand and lay back. “So having a boy isn’t foolproof?”
“There’s no absolute safety. Men won’t get cervical or ovarian cancer, but there’s prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and their rates of liver and rectal cancer are much higher than women.”
Ahhh, the paranoia was nearly overwhelming!
“Life, from before we are even fertilized, is fraught with danger and uncertainty.” He pressed her wildly shaking head and patted it gently. “Why worry so much? Science is always progressing. A hundred years ago, tuberculosis and smallpox were incurable, and childbirth could easily take a woman’s life. Maybe when our child grows up, cancer will be as easy to treat as those diseases.”