Vanessa Mai makes diagnosis public: Cancer precursor by HPV

Vanessa Mai does not take a leaf out of her mouth. the singer has made a worrying diagnosis public that could have changed her life fundamentally.

“Some of you may not know that about me yet, but about two years ago I was diagnosed with a preliminary stage of cervical cancer,” she writes about the video. In it she sits in the white T-shirt and jeans on a black stool and personally turns to her 1.2 million followers:

“I never thought that it affects me until I found a cancer precursor,” she says. This was triggered by an infection with human papilloma viruses (HPV). “Did you know that most sexually active people are infected with HPV in the course of their lives? Yes, and I was one of them,” said Mai about the surprising diagnosis for them.

Mai owes her decision to go to the preventive examination regularly that the cancer was discovered at all. “If I hadn’t gone to the provision, my story might have gone differently,” she emphasizes.

According to Robert Koch Institute, most sexually active people go through an HPV infection at least once in life-many of them unnoticed. “In fact, an infection with HPV heals in most cases,” explains Mai. However, if the infection lasts longer, “cancer precursors or cancer” can arise, it clarifies its fans.

Precisely because HPV affects everyone and the vaccination rate in Germany could be better, it is important to her to speak openly about her history. If this motivates only a person to go to the provision or to find out more, the video has already paid off, she says.

“I wish I knew it earlier,” she admits. “So please don’t be ashamed to ask questions. You only have this one body. Find out and make preventive decisions,” she warns.

A central point in corn educational work is HPV vaccination. The constant vaccination commission (STIKO) recommends this for girls and boys aged nine to 14 years. Ideally, vaccination is “before a possible infection, that is, before the first intimate contact,” she explains.

The diagnosis was a turning point for the singer, who has now worked with the “against cancer” initiative. “Today I know: Health is not a matter of course,” said Mai. She has learned that she herself is responsible for her body.