Women urged not to miss smear test appointments

WOMEN in Burton are being urged to make sure they have a potentially lifesaving smear test and not to be put off because of fear or embarrassment.

The Staffordshire Cluster of Primary Care Trusts (PCT) issued the plea in the run-up to Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, from Sunday to January 28.

Screening or smear tests, as they are more commonly known, are free on the NHS for women aged 25 to 49, every three years routinely and for women aged 50-64, every five years routinely.

Women of screening age will have already been contacted about attending a screening at their registered doctors after it was revealed that cervical cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women under the age of 35.

Around three quarters of cases can be prevented through screening by detecting cell changes early — which if left untreated may develop into cancer.

Uptakes of cervical screening nationally have been falling since 2004.

In South Staffordshire, which includes Burton, 80.5 per cent of women aged 25 to 64 had a smear, which is the third best rate in the West Midlands region.

The coverage by GP varied between 66 per cent and 92 per cent. But for women aged 25 to 29 only 71 per cent had a smear.

Associate specialist in public health medicine Mary Synnott said: “We are particularly concerned about the number of young women, especially those aged 25 to 29 who do not attend for screening, as if women don’t attend when first invited, they will never come.

“We also know that uptake is poorer in less affluent communities. My message would be that screening is nothing to be embarrassed about or fear as it really could save your life.”

Previously the Mail reported how in South Derbyshire, a cervical cancer screening programme has reduced the number of cases by almost half.

For more information about smear tests visit www.nhs.uk/cervicalscreening