Health, Cancer, Women's Health
20th-26th January 2020 is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week and we are teaming up with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to encourage you to have your smear test. It’s hard to imagine that women attending smear tests are at a 19 year low, yet every day nine women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and every year 890 sadly lose their lives.
Having had personal experience of pre-cancerous cells and two operations in my late twenties, I know the importance of having a smear test. The reassurance of a negative smear far out weights the few moments of discomfort, and might just save your life.
Yet remarkably 1 in 4 women do not attend their smear test when invited by their GP and among women aged 25-29, the numbers not attending are even higher, with 1 in 3 women not going.
Smear tests prevent 75% of cervical cancers developing and the test saves over 5000 lives every year.
Every woman aged 25-64 is eligible for a smear test in the UK.
It’s important that you are aware of the symptoms of cervical cancer and visit your GP if you are experiencing any of them.
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has launched the #SmearforSmear campaign to raise awareness of the importance of cervical cancer prevention. Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is asking everyone to share their smeared lipstick selfies on social media along with the hashtag. Together we can spread the word and get more women, especially young women, to have their smear tests.
We will be sharing our #SmearforSmear selfie all this week on social media, tag us in and show us yours!
