Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under the age of 35; according to The Eve Appeal, fifty five women in the UK are diagnosed with gynaecological cancer every day, and twenty one will die from it - but it's actually one of the few cancers that can be prevented. Scientific evidence has shown that if women are screened every three years, more than 90% of pre-cancer cases are picked up and can be treated with very little inconvenience. Our regular smear test can hugely increase our chance of leading a happy, healthy, problem-free life, so why are attendance levels on the decline in the UK" Why are so many women scared of a simple and quick procedure that (put simply) could possibly save their life" Shockingly, a third of women between the ages of 25 and 29 do not take up their smear test invitation, while one in five don?t actually attend their appointment after it's been booked. Statistics have shown that (apart from an increase in 2009 after the death of Jade Goody,) the uptake of cervical screening has either fallen or remained unchanged for the past decade; that's simply not good enough.
Although smear tests aren't enjoyable, they're so quick and painless that we should all be making the time to get tested and look after our health. However, it seems that we all make excuses to delay our appointments - from not having the time, blaming work commitments, not being able to get a convenient appointment or simply prioritising everything ...