VIA full form in medical term is a visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid. It is a budget-friendly, effective screening test performed with simple treatment procedures for early-stage cervical lesions. However, it is only operated by well-experienced and trained healthcare providers. Cervical lesions are considered one of the important causes of cancer deaths. VIA of visual inspection with acetic acid seems to be a dangerous method for diagnosing cervical cancer. But, in fact, it is pretty straightforward. A trained pathologist is needed to look for small cellular changes in the cervix. This test enables healthcare workers to directly see lesions and other changes in the cervix that are possibly large enough to require treatment.
The VIA procedure is quite simple, as mentioned earlier. The health workers straightforwardly apply acetic acid directly to the cervix. Afterward, they look for areas that alter the color. In general, normal cervical tissue remains unaffected by acetic acid. But on the other hand, the damaged tissue that appears in cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions turns white. Your doctor can then remove the damaged tissue on the spot using techniques such as cryotherapy.