This year the Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (CCPW) is held from 24 to 30 January. This week's main goal is to create awareness about cervical cancer, including information about symptoms and causes of the disease, as well as ways to prevent it.
Every day in the UK 8 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3 women will lose their lives to the disease. Cervical cancer is largely preventable thanks to cervical screening and the HPV vaccination programme. However uptake of cervical screening is now going down year on year. Early detection is also key in increasing survival rates and so educating everyone on the disease, its symptoms and ways to prevent it is key.
One important aspect, as already mentioned, is the vaccine, which is ideal to have it if you are a girl between 12 and 14. Girls who missed HPV vaccination first time around, can receive a catch up HPV vaccination on the NHS up to age of 18. Girls who have the HPV vaccination after the age of 15 will need three doses, however, as the response to two doses is not so good in older girls. It's estimated that about 400 lives could be saved every year in the UK as a result of vaccinating girls before they are infected with HPV.
Talking about the cervical screening you should know that depending on the age, is the frequency in which you should do your check up:
* aged 25 to 49 – every three years
* aged 50 to 64 – every five years
* over 65 – only women who haven't been screened since age 50 or those who have recently had abnormal tests
Screening is a personal choice and you have the right to choose not to attend. For more info on how to book a screening, go to the NHS page
Have you had this type of cancer or someone close to you? Do you do you regular screening?
Gilda
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Gilda
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Last activity on 03/02/2023 at 15:26
Joined in 2015
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Cervical Cancer Trust