Following on from the news that the NHS failed to send 50,000 letters regarding cervical cancer screenings to patients, Harrow Health Care Centre is encouraging women to book an appointment with us for their cervical screenings.
Currently, around 3,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK and whilst it is possible for women of all ages to develop the potentially life-threatening illness, the condition mainly affects sexually active women between the ages of 30 and 45.
Cervical screening is a method of detecting abnormal cells on the cervix and can prevent around 75 per cent of cancer cases in women. It is widely considered one of the best defences against cervical cancer, with the number of cases of cervical cancer decreasing by around seven per cent each year.
Current NHS guidelines advise women to have cervical screening every three years up to the age of 50 and every five years thereafter until the age of 64. At Harrow Health Care Centre we are aware that many women prefer to be screened more frequently, and those from other countries are accustomed to more frequent testing, so we offer annual screenings from the age of 25 and two-yearly screenings between the ages of 40 to 64. In line with current guidelines, all mildly abnormal cytology results are automatically sent for HPV testing, and HPV testing can also be undertaken on the screening sample.
The test usually takes under five minutes to carry out and involves the collection of cells from the surface of the cervix using a small soft brush. We undertake to report all our screening results within ten working days, although in practice results are often available sooner
We advise that appointments are made ideally during the middle of your menstrual cycle to allow a better sample of cells to be taken, although it is still possible to undertake the test at any time.
For more information on cervical screenings, head to the dedicated section of our website which can be found at https://goo.gl/yvLpMR
