Cervical screening - ‘a few minutes that could save your life,’ says Thames Valley GP

As part of Cervical Screening Awareness Week, the NHS’s Thames Valley Cancer Alliance (TVCA) is encouraging all women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25-64 to attend their smear test when invited.

Cervical screenings, otherwise known as smear tests, help prevent cervical cancer by checking for a virus called high-risk HPV which causes nearly all cervical cancers.

Cervical cancer is now the most common form of cancer in women and people with a cervix under 35 years old – with two people in the UK dying each day from the disease.

Despite this sobering statistic, one in three people invited for their cervical screening don’t go. It is estimated that in England, if everyone eligible attended screenings regularly, 83% of cervical cancer deaths could be prevented.

Dr Shelley Hayles, GP and TVCA Primary Care Clinical Lead, said: “We’re aware that cervical screening isn’t easy for everyone who should have the test, but smear tests are undertaken by nurses who understand if a patient needs additional support through the test.

“It lasts just a few minutes, and you only have to go once every three or five years depending on your age.

“Screening can help very early diagnosis of cervical cancer.  It's a few minutes that could save your life.”

Women and people with a cervix aged 25-64 years old are eligible for screening. If aged between 25-49 years old, you should have a routine screening every three years. If you are aged between 50-64 years old, it’s every five years.

Usually, those eligible should receive a letter from their GP inviting them to make an appointment when their next screening is due, but people should not be over-reliant on this. If you believe it has gone beyond the recommended period since your last screening, you should call your GP and make an appointment.

The NHS’s TVCA is aware of the need to increase overall numbers of people having cervical screening, and especially amongst people for whom English is not their first language, or who would like a chaperone, are from the LGBTQ+ community, who have learning disabilities, or people who have experienced sexual violence. Nurses can offer additional support to help people with concerns about cervical screening through the appointment.

Cervical Screening Awareness Week runs from 20^th June – 26^th June 2022.

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk/cervicalscreening.

Click here for TVCA's Cervical Screening Information.