This week marks the annual Cervical Cancer Awareness week. This year’s theme is #Smearforsmear, which aims to encourage all women in the UK to have regular smear tests.
There were 3,224 cases reported of cervical cancer in the UK in 2014, according to the latest Cancer Research statistics. Cervical cancer is the 13th most common cancer for females in the UK, but it also largely preventable through attending invitations for smear tests regularly.
NHS nurse Tess Omandam says that cervical cancer “is a silent killer because symptoms are not specific, most of the time they catch it when is spreads already”.
According to the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust charity, one in four women do not attend their smear test invitations due to embarrassment. One in six people would rather miss a smear test than miss a gym class. But not attending a screening can possibly risk your life.
Cherie Johnson, 33, a student at London Metropolitan University says: “I do take them (smear tests) but I’m due one actually this year, I forgot.” The NHS offers smear tests every three years to women ages 25 and over.
A smear test – also called a cervical screening – detects changes in the cells located in the cervix to check for any abnormalities, which could lead to cancer. A screening appointment will roughly take 20 minutes, where the actual procedure only lasts about three and is relatively painless. A nurse will answer any questions and will explain the procedure beforehand.
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is a charity dedicated to the women affected by the cancer. They aim to eradicate cervical cancer through giving awareness for the prevention of the cancer.
On their website they quote a mum called Lindsay who was diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 29. She said she was “too busy” with two small children and “didn’t like the thought of having to get naked in front of anyone I didn’t know”. As a result, she had a radical hysterectomy to save her life, and also said that she had suffered from infertility.
Leave a Reply