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Cervical cancer prevention week – 23rd to 29th January 2023

January 23, 2023

1 in 142 UK females will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in their lifetime[1]. The cervical cancer prevention week aims to spread awareness by encouraging people to attend their smear tests. Statistics from Cancer Research UK state that 99.8% of cervical cancer cases in the UK could be preventable.

Here’s how:

  1. Ask your GP about the HPV vaccine.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the largest causes of cervical cancer. In the UK it is now routine for children aged 12 and 13 to be offered the vaccine with a second dose offered a year or two after. For the best chance at protection against the virus a child will need both of the doses.

However, if you were not offered the HPV vaccine at school it is available on the NHS up until your 25th birthday for girls born after 1st September 1991 and boys born after 1st September 2006. The HPV virus can cause other issues in males, so it is recommended by the NHS that boys also receive both doses of the vaccine[2].

  • All eligible 25 to 64 year olds are invited for regular cervical screening.

Cervical screening is commonly known as a smear test. This is not a test for cancer, but it does help prevent cancer by checking for HPV. HPV can bring about abnormal changes to the cells in a person’s cervix. During the appointment a small sample of cells are taken from a person’s cervix. However, it should be stressed that at this stage finding HPV is treatable and does not mean you have cancer. This is why it is essential for people to attend their smear tests as HPV can be treated, and this can prevent cervical cancer.

Unfortunately, it is the case that nearly 1 in 3 people invited to cervical screening do not attend[3]. A survey commissioned in 2022 by the Department of Health and Social Care found that embarrassment and feeling nervous were two of the main reasons people had not attended their smear test.

Here are some more findings from the survey[4]:

  • 81% of people said the nurse or doctor put them at ease during the appointment.
  • 58% of people were surprised how quick the smear test was and 89% of people would encourage others to go.
  • 89% of the people who attended a cervical screening said they were glad they did so.

In England the NHS offers cervical screening to people between the ages of 24.5 and 49 every 3 years whilst those between the ages of 50 and 64 are offered screening every 5 years[5].

If you would like more information, you can visit the website below or ask your GP for more guidance.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cervical-screening-programme-overview

[1] https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/cervical-cancer#heading-Four

[2] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine/

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-national-cervical-screening-campaign-launches-as-nearly-1-in-3-dont-take-up-screening-offer

[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-national-cervical-screening-campaign-launches-as-nearly-1-in-3-dont-take-up-screening-offer

[5] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-national-cervical-screening-campaign-launches-as-nearly-1-in-3-dont-take-up-screening-offer

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