Women are being urged to visit their arranged cervical cancer screening appointments, despite the national lockdown.
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, a national charity, says that around one in four women and people with a cervix did not attend their smear test when invited even before the pandemic, and is concerned that the number of people going for a screening will have fallen since then, due to pressures on the NHS and paused programmes.
A study produced by the charity found that COVID-19 has led to more people being hesitant to go for a smear test, with 9% now saying they definitely would not attend and 22% less likely to attend.
Cervical screening is estimated to save 5,000 lives every year. This is why Milton Keynes Council is encouraging women to visit their planned cervical screenings, and states that GP surgeries are working hard to make appointments COVID safe.
All women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 should go for regular cervical screening. Those eligible will get a letter in the post inviting them to make an appointment.
Those aged 25 to 49 will be invited every three years, those aged 50 to 64 will be invited every five years, and those over the age of 65 will only be invited if one of the last three tests was abnormal.
Milton Keynes Council says: "Don’t put it off, speak to your GP surgery and follow their advice."
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust has recently called for faster action on at-home testing, after research showed the majority of women would prefer to give a self-sample.
Among those who rarely or never book a cervical smear, 47% said they would prefer self-testing than a screening with a clinician.
The charity adds that two self-sampling pilot programmes are under way in the UK - in London and Dumfries and Galloway.
Symptoms of cervical cancer to look out for include:
- bleeding between periods
- vaginal spotting or unusual discharge
- pain during sex
- bleeding after sex
- pain in your pelvis - anywhere between your belly button and the top of your thighs
If you are worried about symptoms that might mean you have cervical cancer, phone your GP. Never ignore symptoms.
