Young woman urged to attend NHS cervical screening

Young women in the South East have joined NHS bosses in urging people to take part in cervical cancer screening.

Figures show women aged between 25-29 currently have the lowest uptake of cervical screening, with some surgeries reporting it as low as 40%.

Megan, 28, who lives in Kent, said that after attending her screening appointment doctors detected abnormal cells.

“Thankfully these were treated, and I am now okay,” she said.

Dr Daghni Rajasingam, deputy medical director for NHS England in the South East, said she wants young women to “take-up their invitation to attend cervical screening and develop the healthy habit of regular cervical screening”.

The campaign by NHS England South East targets those who are either due or overdue their first and second screening appointments

Megan said “I didn’t want to do it, but it never crossed my mind not to go.

“I was shocked to hear that so many people still don’t go to their screening because everyone I know goes to theirs,” she said.

She added that there was a lot of awareness on social media with influences urging people to take up their screening offer.

Tanisha Allen said she was very nervous to have her smear test done.

“I think because it’s scary and the unknown, it does put you off,” she said.

Ms Allen said that when she did take part in the screening programme “they made me feel very safe and comfortable”.

Some GPs across the region report uptake as low as 38% in younger women.

Areas with the lowest uptake include Brighton & Hove, Bognor, Littlehampton, Hastings, Dover, Folkestone, Canterbury, Gravesend, Woking and Guildford.

The NHS said uptake tends to be lower in areas of greater deprivation, including coastal communities, and is particularly low among young women from black or ethnic minority backgrounds.

Dr Rajasingam added: “The NHS has pledged to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, saving thousands of lives every year.

“Together with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, regular cervical screening is the most effective way to protect against cervical cancer and prevents more than seven in 10 cases.”

NHS screening works by using a highly effective test to check for high-risk HPV, which can cause abnormal cells to develop in the cervix.

These abnormal cells can, over time, turn into cancer if left untreated.