Cervical Cancer Prevention Week: Here's What You Need To Know About Smear Tests

Ladies, cast your mind back to when 2018 rolled around.

What were your New Year's resolutions? Lose a few pounds? Avoid making a gin fuelled embarrassment of yourself on Saturday nights? Stop watching back to back episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix? (These have to be realistic by the way).

Or did you promise yourself you would keep up to date with your smear? No? Because as a resolution that could potentially save your life, it's one worth keeping.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week in Ireland is well underway so there's no better time to start getting up to speed on your smears.

We spoke to Prof Grainne Flannelly, Clinical Director of National Screening Service CervicalCheck, who said that the programme has met its 80% coverage target which means 80% of women have had a smear test in the past five years.

She said it was also encouraging to note that since 2010, new cancers have been reducing by 7% per year.

How common is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is the ninth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in Ireland. Each year, over 260 women nationwide are diagnosed with cervical cancer, with up to 70 deaths a year.

Irish women are entitled to a free smear test when they turn 25. According to Prof Flannelly, the 25-29 age group have the highest coverage in the screening programme.

This is encouraging as there seems to be an acceptance that making sure your smears are up to date is part of a woman's normal maintenance

However, a quarter of women over the age of 45 are not up to date with their tests,"It is unclear why this is," says Prof Flannelly. "It may be that they are under the false impression that they are not at risk."

Attending your Smear

Research from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust charity in the UK has revealed more than a third (35%) of women are embarrassed to attend their smear tests because of their body shape.

Other reasons include concerns about the appearance of their vagina (34%) and worries over smelling ‘normally’ (38%). A third (31%) said they wouldn’t go if they hadn’t waxed or shaved their bikini area. The survey was conducted among 25-35 year old women.

Smear tests are free, readily available and take no more than 15 minutes. The test is not painful, it can just feel slightly uncomfortable. As Prof Flannelly says:

Any inconvenience is balanced by the knowledge that regular testing is most women's best chance of reducing cervical cancer. There are over 4000 smear takers and women can choose who to go to - all of which should be mindful of any possible anxieties or worries a woman may have. Any woman with a cervix should be tested irrespective of their sexual orientation.

Granted, it's not great craic whipping off your underwear and making small talk while someone has a look at what's going on down there. However, a mild case of embarrassment isn't much of a defence for not attending a potentially life saving exam.

#ShareTheWisdom

Last Friday, Minister of State for Health Promotion Catherine Byrne launched the Pearl of Wisdom campaign on behalf of CervicalCheck and the Irish Family Planning Association.

The Pearl of Wisdom is the European symbol of cervical cancer prevention.

During the campaign, 30,000 free Pearls of Wisdom in the form of a brooch, will be distributed to health networks nationwide.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from January 28 - February 3. Along with the HPV vaccine, regular cervical screening is the most effective way to reduce the risk of cervical cancer. Commenting on the importance of attending your regular screening, Prof Flannelly says:

Women can have precancerous changes on the cervix for many years before a cancer develops. These conditions have no symptoms or warning sign and the only way of detecting them is by screening. Regular screening maximises the chance that these changes can be detected and treated before a cancer develops.

Remember, it takes seconds to check when your smear test is due, register, change personal details or find a convenient smear taker. You can do that by visiting CervicalCheck here or freephone 1800 454555.

You can also support the Pearl of Wisdom campaign by posting a selfie with your Pearl of Wisdom on social media using the hashtag #ShareTheWisdom, or adding a virtual Pearl to their profile pictures by visiting https://twibbon.com/Support/pearl-of-wisdom.

The Pearl of Wisdom is available from CervicalCheck on freephone 1800 454555.

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