SMEAR TESTS SAVE LIVES

Jackie Marshall NEC talks about the importance of cervical screening

I have no medical qualifications and I am not medically trained; I simply want to raise awareness of the importance of keeping your cervical screening appointments

Some of you may remember Big Brother star Jade Goody. Jade had a number of health scares during the 2000s. In 2002 – shortly before her Big Brother 3 appearance – a cervical smear test revealed abnormal cells, a possible indicator of cancer. She was tested for iridocyclitis in 2004 and bowel cancer in 2006, with negative results for each. Jade had hospital tests in early August 2008, after her fourth cancer scare; she had collapsed four times. Following these tests, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and, by February 2009, the cancer had metastasized and she was terminally ill. She died in the early hours on 22 March 2009 at the age of 27, just seven months after the cervical cancer diagnosis. When the news spread that Jade’s cancer was terminal, medical authorities in the UK began reporting a surge in requests from women – particularly younger women – for cervical cancer screening. This reversed a trend which had seen demand for screening decline over the past decade, with the greatest decline among women aged 25–29. In October 2009, it was reported that the number of women between 25 and 64 having a smear test in the United Kingdom had grown by 12 per cent during the previous year, an increase – after year-to-year declines since 2002 – that was credited to Jade’s public battle with cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is a kind of cancer that grows in a woman’s reproductive organ called the cervix. The cancer starts in the cervix, the narrow opening into the uterus from the vagina. When the cells in the cervix become abnormal and multiply quickly, cervical cancer can develop.

Cervical screening, or smear tests, check the health of the cervix and helps prevent cervical cancer. They are not a test for cancer.

Cervical cancer screenings, which typically include a pelvic exam, have significantly reduced the number of cervical cancer incidence and death rates. These screenings are especially important because symptoms of cervical cancer often go undetected until the disease is more advanced.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU HAVE A SMEAR TEST:

• You will normally be offered a smear test every three years (or five years if you are over 50)

THE NHS WILL CONTACT YOU WHEN IT IS TIME FOR YOUR TEST IF YOU ARE:

• Aged between 25 and 64 years old
• Registered as female with a GP.

If you are a trans man or non-binary person and have a cervix, you should have screening too – but you may not be sent a smear test invitation if you are registered as male with your GP. Tell your GP if you want to have cervical screening so they can arrange regular tests for you.

It is not a test for cancer; it is a test to help prevent cancer.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP

• It is one of the best ways to protect you from cervical cancer
• It can save your life.

HOW IT HELPS TO PREVENT CANCER

• The test checks the health of the cervix and helps to detect abnormal changes before they can turn into cancer
• A sample is taken and checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause abnormal changes to the cells in the cervix and are called high risk types of HPV
• If high risk types are found, the sample of cells is checked for abnormal changes
• If abnormal cells are found, treatment can begin so they do not turn into cervical cancer.

SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL CANCER CAN INCLUDE:

• Heavy vaginal bleeding
• Bleeding between periods
• Painful intercourse
• Bleeding after intercourse
• Unusual vaginal discharge; often watery or with an unpleasant odour.

Girls in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are routinely offered the HPV vaccine through school-based programmes, starting in school year 9, when they are 12 to 13 years old. The vaccine is also available at community clinics.

Girls who have had the HPV vaccine still need to have cervical screenings from age 25 onwards. The HPV vaccine doesn’t protect against all types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer, and there’s still a small chance of getting cervical cancer, even after being vaccinated. Cervical screenings can help detect high-risk HPV or abnormal cells in the cervix early, before they develop into cancer.

It is important to have a smear test, so make sure you keep your appointment. If you are experiencing any symptoms, or general pelvic discomfort, speak to your doctor.