Embarrassment is causing women to miss smear tests

One in four women in Kent are potentially risking their lives by failing to have smear tests.

It has led health officials to issue a warning about apathy towards screening, which is used as a preventative measure against cervical cancer.

Research from NHS England shows women in Medway are the worst for failing to take the test with 26.1% not going to screenings in 2016/17, up from 24.6% in 2015/16.

Those living in the rest of Kent were slightly more receptive to going for a screening with 24.1% not taking up the opportunity in 2016/17, compared to 23.5% in 2015/16.

The recent Cervical Cancer Prevention Week aimed to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening.

Surveys by cancer charities show the main causes of people not turning up for their smear tests include embarrassment and not understanding the causes of the disease, which killed 890 people in 2014. Robert Music, chief executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said: “Screening prevents up to 75% of cervical cancers yet the number of women attending is at a 20-year low in England with over one in four women in Kent missing their test in the last year.

“We want to encourage women to talk to their friends, mothers and daughters about the steps they can take to reduce their risk of cervical cancer.”

NHS England says every day nine women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer and three women lose their lives to the disease.

Women are being urged to reduce their risk of developing the disease by practicing safe sex, not smoking, going along to screening sessions and getting vaccinated with the HPV jab.

Public health screening and immunisation lead for Kent and Medway, Dr John Rodriguez, said there had been a fall in the number of younger women attending for over the past few years adding that there was “misunderstanding” of the level of protection the HPV vaccination offers.

He added: “Although they are protected against the two most common HPV types that cause 70% of cervical cancers, the risk is not completely eliminated and screening is still an important part of preventing cancer.

“The screening test is relatively simple, takes about five minutes and is performed by the practice nurse at your GP surgery.

“Some 95% of results will be normal and of those that are not, the vast majority can be treated very easily and will never develop in to cancer.”

One in four women are missing cancer screenings