THE NHS is sharing testimony from three women in the south east as part of a campaign encouraging the uptake of its cervical screening services.
To mark Cervical Screening Awareness Week, the NHS is running the Love Your Cervix campaign aimed it increasing the uptake of services maintaining cervical health and patients taking control of their health.
Women in the South East aged between 25-29 currently have the lowest uptake of cervical screening with some surgeries across the region reporting uptake as low as 40%.
Uptake is particularly low in young women from a black or minority ethnic background which is why medical experts and young women across the south east have come together to launch the campaign.
It targets those who are either due or overdue their first and second screening appointments and encourages women to book an appointment with their GP practice when invited by the NHS for their cervical screening and get checked out to help stop any cancer developing.
It also aims to dispel myths about cervical screening and smear tests, and empower women to take control of their health and make an appointment to have their screening.
NHS screening works by using a highly effective test to check for high-risk HPV, which can cause abnormal cells to develop in the cervix.
These abnormal cells can, over time, turn into cancer if left untreated; the test takes less than 5 minutes and the whole appointment takes 10 minutes.
Dr Daghni Rajasingam, Deputy Medical Director for NHS England in the South East said: “The NHS has pledged to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, saving thousands of lives every year.
“Together with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, regular cervical screening is the most effective way to protect against cervical cancer and prevents more than 7 in 10 cases.
“We want young women to take charge of their health, take-up their invitation to attend cervical screening and develop the healthy habit of regular cervical screening for the rest of their lives.
“It’s your cervix, show it you care.”
Shreya, 28, from East Berkshire, has been getting her cervical screenings since she was invited at the age of 25 and is encouraging other women to come forward after a recent screening came back with borderline changes.
“A few minutes of discomfort is worth the peace of mind I get from knowing if I’m at risk–cervical cancer runs in my family, so it’s important for me to stay on top of my health and know what’s happening in my body.
“I want to have children one day, so I want to be in the best health possible.
“My recent screening came back with borderline changes, so I went for a colposcopy and did a biopsy. Luckily, the results came back not cancerous, but I’m going to go back in 6 months for another screening to monitor it.
“While I’ve been lucky that this wasn’t cancerous, the idea that it could’ve been, and I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t get screened, is scary. I would therefore really encourage everyone who qualifies for cervical screening to take up the offer.
“It’s so quick, and your health is worth the few minutes of discomfort that you may or may not experience.”
More information about cervical screening is available via: nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments
