Don’t leave it too late
Cervical screening alert from NHS
One in four women in Lanarkshire fail to attend potentially life-saving cervical screening appointments, it has been revealed.
In the NHS Lanarkshire area, the uptake across all age groups dropped by 0.3 per cent to 74.2 per cent in 201718.
The lowest level of uptake was among 25 to 29-year-olds and women aged 60-64.
Rhiann Mclean is a public health engagement coordinator with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust – the UK’S only dedicated charity offering support and information to women and their loved ones affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities.
She works with women in areas of deprivation, women in black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and women who have a learning disability, among whom attendance at screening appointments is low.
“We know a key barrier is to do with health literacy, because messages are not reaching these women through posters and leaflets,” she explained.
“When a woman is invited for health screening, it relies on the fact that she lives at the address registered with her GP, that she reads the letter and responds appropriately.
“For all women, the barriers are personal and complex. They may not know where the cervix is on their body, or worry that it will hurt or be embarrassing.”
Rhiann is keen to get the message across to women that the human papilloma virus (HPV) is the cause of 90 per cent of abnormalities.
The common viral infection is contracted by most adults at some stage in their life, and the majority of women who have the infection do not go on to develop cervical cancer.
Rhiann says that among black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, there is a stigma surrounding cervical screening because HPV is wrongly associated with promiscuity.
The Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust ‘Be Cervix Savvy’ roadshow toured Lanarkshire recently to educate the public about cervical cancer and how it can be prevented, including through screening, how to spot symptoms, and the HPV jag.
Cervical screening prevents 75 per cent of all cervical cancers, yet new research has found two-thirds of Scottish women are unaware that not attending screening is one of the biggest risk factors for developing cervical cancer.
Last year in Scotland, 339 women were diagnosed, the highest figure in 18 years, and 116 women lost their lives to the disease – a 32 per cent increase from 2014.
Dr Jennifer Darnborough, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, said: “Less than 80 per cent of eligible women in Lanarkshire have taken up the offer of a cervical screening invite in the past five years. We need more women to have screening to prevent more cases of cervical cancer and reduce deaths.
“I know women will worry about the results when they have a smear test – I do too. But over 90 per cent of us will be given the all-clear.
“While screening is our best protection against cervical cancer, it is important to visit your doctor if you spot any symptoms.”