Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
This is a call out to all women reading this blog and anyone who is in a position to help encourage the next generation of young women to engage with this vital awareness campaign. 
We are all something special to someone: a daughter, sister, mother, wife, aunt, niece, sister in law, cousin, friend and as such not only do you owe it to yourself to make sure you attend a cervical smear appointment if you are requested to, but also to encourage other women in your life to do the same. Just one missed appointment could affect your long term health and armed with all the right information, you can help ensure that fewer appointments will be missed.
Founded in 2000, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity and was the concept of London businessman, James Maxwell in memory of his wife, Jo who died from cervical cancer at the age of 40.
During Cervical Cancer Prevention Week they want as many people as possible to know how they can reduce their risk of the disease and to educate others.
The pandemic means there are additional challenges to attending screening and accessing the HPV vaccine and many people are unsure about whether they should access the NHS at this difficult time.
So, here’s all you need to know:
About Cervical Screening
Cervical screening is a free health test available on the NHS that helps prevent cervical cancer and is part of the national cervical screening programme. It checks for a virus called high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and, if you have HPV, cervical cell changes (abnormal cells). It is not a test for cancer, neither is it for people who have symptoms (which will be looked at later), but is a cervical health ‘check up’.
Who Is Invited For Screening?
You should be invited for cervical screening if you have a cervix. Women are usually born with a cervix and Trans men, non-binary and intersex people may also have one.
In the UK, you are automatically invited for cervical screening if you are:
- between the ages of 25 to 64
- registered as female with a GP surgery
You may get your first invite up to 6 months before your 25th birthday and you can book an appointment as soon as you receive one.
How Often Is A Screening Done?
It is the result of the cervical screening test that helps decide when you are invited for your next screening.
You could be invited:
- every year
- every 3 years
- every 5 years or
- to have a colposcopy (an examination to take a closer look at your cervix) for more tests
Current Cervical Screening Invites During The Coronavirus Pandemic
Cervical screening invites are still being sent out throughout the UK. If you have an invite or your test was cancelled because of coronavirus, you may now be able to re-book an appointment. Some GP surgeries however still might not be able to offer appointments straight away but be sure to keep in contact with the surgery in order to establish the earliest date you will be able to attend.
Benefits and Risks of Cervical Screening
Cervical screening is carried out because evidence shows that the benefits of the test outweigh any risks. Along with the HPV vaccine, cervical screening is the best way to protect against cervical cancer and prevents over 7 in 10 diagnoses. However, like any screening test, it is not perfect and there are some risks.
Benefits:
- Cervical screening aims to identify whether you are at higher risk of developing cervical cell changes or cervical cancer. This means you can get care or treatment you need early
- England, Scotland and Wales now use HPV primary screening, which is even better as it is based on your individual risk. This means how frequently you are invited for cervical screening is based on your last result and within a timeframe that is safe for you.
Possible Risks:
- In a few cases, cervical screening will give an incorrect result. This means it may say someone does not have HPV or cell changes when they do (a false negative). Going for cervical screening when invited can help reduce this risk, as it is likely HPV or cell changes that were missed would be picked up by the next test. It also means a result may say someone does have HPV or cell changes when they don’t (a false positive), which could mean they are invited for tests or treatment they don’t need.
- Sometimes cell changes go back to normal without needing treatment. At the moment, we can’t tell which cell changes will go back to normal, so treating means we can be sure we are preventing them from developing into cervical cancer. This means some people may have unnecessary treatment, which is called over diagnosis or overtreatment. Using HPV primary screening should help prevent this.
It is hard to know exactly how many people are affected by these risks, but evidence shows that for those aged 25 to 64, the benefits of cervical screening outweigh the risks and most results will be clear.
Symptoms of Cervical Cancer:
Cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms or the symptoms may not be obvious, however, the most common symptoms of cervical cancer include:
- vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you, including after the menopause, after sex, or between regular periods
- changes to vaginal discharge
- pain or discomfort during sex
- unexplained pain in your lower back or between your hip bones (pelvis).
It is important to remember that these symptoms usually happen for reasons other than cervical cancer. But it is also important to contact your GP straight away, so they can give you reassurance and support.
Please look after yourselves, stay safe and well and above all, please don’t forget to book your important appointments when you are asked to attend.
