THE SMEAR TESTS GOING UNATTENDED
Fewer women having smear tests done as experts say the “Jade Goody effect has long worn off”
THE proportion of women having smear tests is at an alltime low.
Just 71.6 per cent of women aged 25-64 who were invited for a cervical cancer screening in 2016/17 had the test done.
That is the lowest proportion on record, according to figures from NHS England and Wales.
Cervical screening aims to prevent cancer from developing in the cervix at the neck of the womb. The screening can detect abnormal cells before they turn cancerous - and is one of the very few preventative cancer tests available. Records go back as early as 2004/05 - when 85.1 per cent of women invited in England and Wales had the procedure done. In 2008/09, some 89.4 per cent of invited women had smear tests done - the highest figure that records show. The surge was largely attributed to the highprofile death of reality television star Jade Goody, who died from cervical cancer in 2009. She was just 27.
Following her death nearly 500,000 extra women turned up for smear tests.
Smear tests are free on the NHS. Women from the age of 25 are invited for screening every three years while women aged 50 to 64 are invited every five years.
Nearly all cervical cancers (99.7 per cent) are caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.
Anyone who is sexually active can be infected with HPV. Using a condom can help to prevent an infection, but HPV can also be spread through skin-to-skin contact.
While the body’s immune system will usually clear it up, girls aged between 12-18 are eligible for a free vaccine that helps protect against cervical cancer.
Robert Music, chief executive of charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said: “There are many factors which cause women to not attend their smear test, including thinking it is not an important or relevant test, embarrassment, concern about the potential result, fear of pain or a previous bad experience.
“Practically, it can sometimes be difficult for women to get an appointment with their GP. “Sadly it is the case that the ‘Jade Goody effect’ has long worn off and it was unfortunately short lived. “It is important to remember smear tests are not a test for cancer, they detect changes in the cells of the cervix which if not treated could develop into cancer, and between 90-94% of tests come back as normal. “Cervical cancer can be prevented with smear tests providing the best protection against the disease yet only one in four women take up their invitation, which is a big concern.”