Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
23rd – 29th January 2023
Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is a crucial week for us all to get involved in helping raise awareness of this cancer and how it can be prevented. Make the end of cervical cancer a reality!
Did you know that 1 in 3 women and people with a cervix do not take up their screening (smear test) invite/appointment. So, there is still lots of work to be done in making people fully aware and it’s not just the young but also women who may not think their screening appointment is important. Remember and tell others though that it could save your life through the early detection of cell changes.
We certainly have all the tools in place to tackle and prevent cervical cancer: HPV vaccinations, screening appointments and treatments for cell changes, so we all need to do our bit to raise awareness and understand how vital screening is. As well as the lack of awareness, there is also a lack of funding which needs to be addressed with the Government. We need to see the Government commit to strategies to make sure that no-one is missed out or left behind. This means tackling inequalities in cervical cancer prevention, ensuring we have the technology and workforces required for better research and more effective ways to prevent cancer.
Many countries around the world and the World Health Organisation are committing to eliminating cervical cancer and are creating strategies to help achieve this, but so far UK governments have been slow to recognise that change is necessary.
There are a great many ways to get involved in this vital awareness campaign – plenty of resources are available on line for example where you can download posters to display prominently at work/school/the gym, you can also fundraise by way of hosting a coffee morning or something similar, you could join an organised walk/run/cycle, use social media to connect and let people know what you are supporting or you could even write to your MP and ask them to take action and help the UK be one of the first countries to end cervical cancer.
Whatever way you choose this year to help spread the word about cervical cancer, you can rest assured that your work will help saves lives and is vital to now and future generations.
