Fewer women are going for smear tests – even though cervical cancer rates are on the up.
Now public health officials in Huddersfield are to launch a new campaign to persuade women to get tested.
And the message they are trying to stress is: Attending your smear test could save your life.
It will be hammered home next week in Cervical Screening Prevention Week which runs from January 19 to 25.
Kirklees Public Health is supporting the awareness campaign, led by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, by helping to highlight the importance of cervical screening and how attending a smear test can help prevent cervical cancer.
In Kirklees the rate of new cases of cervical cancer is increasing.
However, the number of women attending their screening appointments over recent years has been declining and is now only at 80%.
In younger women, particularly those under 35, the number attending screening has been falling more quickly.
The smear test is not a test to find cancer but a way of preventing cancer by detecting and treating abnormalities at an early stage in the cells in the cervix. These early abnormalities, if left untreated, could lead to cervical cancer.
All women between the ages of 25 and 64 are eligible for a free smear test every three to five years. Dr Mercy Vergis, Kirklees Public Health Consultant, said: “It is vitally important that you attend an appointment for a smear test when you receive one.
“Women can sometimes be put off attending a test because they may feel uncomfortable, or they may be worried about the outcome of the test. However, it really is the best way to prevent cancer before it develops.
“Cervical cancer is a preventable disease, yet the charity, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, supports many women diagnosed because they delayed or ignored their cervical screening invitation.”
The test is free and available from GPs or practice nurses at surgeries or at the nearest Contraception and Sexual Health clinic (CaSH).
