The latest figures revealed that around three million women across the UK haven’t had a smear test for at least three and a half years.
This means many individuals are putting themselves at risk of cervical cancer, a disease that can be largely preventable and containable.
If you’re diagnosed with cervical cancer at its earliest stage, you’ve got a 95 per cent chance of survival, whereas, if it is detected at stage two then the odds fall to 50 per cent.
A smear test can detect pre-cancerous abnormalities in the cervix, as well as cancer itself, meaning treatment can be carried out before the disease has developed.
Since records began in 1995, we have recently seen the lowest number of women attending a screening, with nearly a third of women in the UK skipping their smear test.
Subsequently, a #CheersForSmears campaign has recently launched between cervical cancer charity, Jo’s Trust and Fabulous to encourage women to attend their screenings, regardless.
Every year 3,200 women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and these figures are set to rise by 40 per cent in the next 20 years.
The campaign highlights that this is one of the only cancers that can be prevented through early screening, and smear tests can stop 75 per cent of cases developing.
Jo’s Trust reported over a third of females said that they wouldn’t attend a swear test if it meant taking time off work, and 26 per cent admitted it is difficult to make an appointment to fit in with their busy lifestyle.
Nevertheless, a 10-minute appointment is far less time consuming than, say, months of chemotherapy.
As a result, campaigners are calling on GPs to offer more flexible screening times, outside of work and at weekends. Alongside encouraging employers to play their part in helping to ensure that their female employees can attend cervical screenings during the working hours.
Currently, cervical screenings save 5,000 lives every year, if you would like more information on this then head to the dedicated section of our website which can be found at https://goo.gl/yvLpM
