The women in my family have featured heavily on here at times, with the notable exception of my paternal Grandmother, pictured above. When my Nana died from cancer in 1986 she left a gaping hole in all of our lives. It was my first real experience of intense, searing, grief, and as anyone who has experienced such pain will attest to, it never leaves you. Every family gathering, every time we all meet up, she is noticeably absent. She never met my husband, nor her great-grandchildren.
If my glorious, hysterically funny, beautiful, happy Grandmother had gone for a cervical smear earlier, she may still be here. Maybe not, but we will never know, because she died when she was 60 years old, from cancer that originally started in her cervix.
I met up with The Eve Appeal again this week to discuss an upcoming project I am involved with, to be told that not only has the uptake of smear tests decreased since the introduction of the HPV vaccine, but that there is still some stigma around the vaccine itself.
It would appear that somewhere along the way, the message that there is a vaccine available that can help prevent some cervical cancers, is translating either into 'we don't need to get tested', or 'my daughter doesn't have sex, she's too young'.
This is not the case. Please, please, read the facts below, and for the love of sanity, if you have a cervix, keep up to date with your smear tests. If you are receiving reminders, make the appointment. If you have any un...