Testing times for women

Of all the depressing statistics on cervical cancer screenings revealed today, there is one positive that stands out.

Thanks to this simple test, 2,000 lives are saved every year.

It’s worth holding that thought as we try to work out why so many women are not taking up a potentially life-saving procedure.

In Sunderland the figure is nothing short of staggering. A total of 18,030 women invited to take the smear test had not taken up the offer within six months.

That equates to one in four woman failing to attend an appointment.

There is a particularly low turnout among those in the younger age bracket of between 25 and 40.

And this is not a statistical blip.

Across England the number of women attending smear test appointments has fallen for the fourth year in a row. It’s a downward trajectory that needs turning as a matter or urgency.

There appears to be no single reason for these worrying figures.

Embarrassment, discomfort, cultural differences, ignorance, and limited provision for specific groups in need of extra support are among those reasons cited.

As such, there is not going to be a magic bullet to sort this, but a joined up approach with solutions for all excuses.

Robert Music, of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “We cannot sit back and let cervical screening coverage continue to plummet or diagnoses of this often preventable cancer will rise and more mothers, daughters, sisters and friends will be lost.”

He’s right. The main figure we want to see rise is the 2,000 lives saved every year. Let’s make that happen.