[T]he MP for Copeland is supporting Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s #SmearForSmear campaign and Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
Trudy Harrison MP is supporting the campaign which aims to raise awareness about how women can reduce their risk of cervical cancer through attending regular cervical screening, being aware of symptoms, knowing the risk factors and taking up the HPV vaccination if offered.
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s recent research surveyed 2,017 women across UK and revealed that in young women, a third (35 per cent) said that embarrassment had caused them to delay attending their screening.
Among those who have delayed or not attended, a quarter (26 per cent) find it too hard to make an appointment and over a third (35 per cent) wouldn’t go if they had to take time off work.
In Cumbria, nearly a quarter of women (23.3 per cent) do not take up their cervical screening invitation.
Ms Harrison said: “I am delighted to be working with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust this Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Cervical screening prevents up to 75 per cent of cervical cancers developing, so it is worrying to hear that so many women are not attending this test when invited, particularly due to embarrassment. We need to empower women that they shouldn’t let this deter them from attending a potentially life-saving test.”
Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “We are extremely pleased to have Trudy Harrison MP on board this Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening, and that so many women are unaware of the importance of attending. I would urge women to not let unhappiness about your body stop you from attending what could be a life-saving test. Nurses are professionals who carry out millions of tests every year, they can play a big part in ensuring women are comfortable.”
Women aged 25-49 are invited for their screening every three years and women aged 50-64 are invited every five years. In the UK, over 3,100 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and 850 will lose their lives.
