Cervical Cancer Awareness Week
10th January 2010
Women are being urged to ensure they go for regular smear tests as Cervical Cancer Awareness Week gets underway on 24th January.
Every year in the UK, over 2,800 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer - and 1,000 will die from the disease. After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women aged 35 and under.
So, how can cervical cancer be prevented? The answer is simple – through regular screening and the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination programme. The HPV vaccine protects against 70 per cent of the human papillomavirus types which cause cervical cancer and is aimed at girls aged between 12 and 13.
Nonetheless, 20 per cent of women did not take up their invitation for cervical screening last year, and only 50 per cent of older girls offered the HPV vaccine have elected to have this potentially life-saving jab.
As with all forms of cancer, the overriding message is: “check yourself regularly – listen to your body - and don’t ignore the signs.”
For further information on Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, visit www.jotrust.co.uk