Confession
When confiding to reporters, many female workers, especially those under 40 years old, admit that they often have issues with private area health but choose to endure instead of going to the hospital. The psychology of hesitation and shame when going for gynecological examinations is the biggest barrier that makes women delay access to healthcare. For them, the natural function of being a wife and mother and the pressure of taking care of the family must always be put above their own health.
Ms. N.T. T. N (Binh Thuy ward, Can Tho city) recounted that the nature of work at the factory makes workers often face respiratory diseases and neck and shoulder pain. These professional diseases that appear every day have unintentionally made her pay less attention to other medical conditions.
Honestly, there were times when I itched, I was very shy. Even my husband didn't dare to tell, only dared to go to a pharmacy with a female staff to sell, ask for advice and then buy it to use" - Ms. N said.
In the same situation, Ms. L.T.T (Ninh Kieu ward, Can Tho city) confided that due to difficult family circumstances, her husband is also a worker, so she has never dared to think about going for preventive health check-ups before.
Every time I get sick, I just go to the store to buy a few doses of medicine to get through the pain and then continue to work in the chain, because going for another check-up costs a day's salary, how can I bear the cost of medicine," Ms. T confided.
Don't be too late
In fact, through our records, it is the subjectivity and psychological endurance that have led to many heartbreaking stories. The most sad case is that of Ms. L.T.K. T (born in 1978, Can Tho City).
In the early stages, Ms. T noticed unusual pain in the chest area. However, partly because of fear, partly because of the lonely circumstances of having to raise an elderly mother and young children, she just endured it.
When the pain exceeded her ability, she went for an examination and the disease had progressed to stage two breast cancer (K breast cancer). Currently, this woman is struggling to get treatment, borrowing money everywhere to cover hospital fees. Depleted health prevents her from going to work regularly, losing her main source of income, pushing her family into misery.
I am willing to speak out as sincere advice to women like me. If you see abnormal signs in'unspeakable' areas, women must be examined promptly to protect their health, before it is too late" - Ms. T added.
According to the orientation from the doctor, Ms. T implemented the plan to transfer to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. Thus, not only worrying about money for medicine and hospitalization, she continued to bear the heavy burden of food and travel expenses.
In fact, the current gynecological examination or gynecological cancer screening process is very gentle, fast, and not as scary as many women often imagine. Early detection of signs will help treatment achieve high efficiency, save costs and protect women's lives.
Previously, on June 28, in Can Tho City, more than 1,000 workers, including many female workers, participated in the "Workers' Health Day - for a healthy Vietnam 2026" program organized by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in coordination with agencies and units.
Not only are they given blood pressure measurements, blood tests, free dental and maxillofacial examinations..., many women are also consulted by doctors about gynecological diseases, and guided on scientific activities to keep their bodies healthy.
The festival aims to concretize the spirit of shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, comprehensive health care for workers and laborers in industrial parks. This step by step ensures that each worker has regular health check-ups, has access to basic, fair and quality medical services, in accordance with the motto "prevention is key, grassroots is the foundation, people are the center".
