From 1 January 2022, if you are aged 25-49, the gap between routine tests has now changed from 3 to 5 years, meaning an additional 2 years between cervical screening and potentially seeing further deaths from cervical cancer!
On average 3197 cases of cervical cancer are discovered each year with 854 deaths between 2016-2018, with only 51% surviving this type of cancer for more than 10 years.
99.8% of cervical cancer cases are preventable (according to cancer research UK).
INCREASING THE LENGTH OF TIME BETWEEN CERVICAL SCREENING IS PUTTING LIVES AT RISK!
How cervical screening helps prevent cancer
Cervical screening checks a sample of cells from your cervix for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
These types of HPV can cause abnormal changes to the cells in your cervix and are called “high risk” types of HPV.
If these types of HPV are found during screening (an HPV positive result), the sample of cells is then checked for abnormal changes. If abnormal cells are not treated, they may turn into cervical cancer.
What is HPV?
HPV is the name for a very common group of viruses.
Most people will get some type of HPV during their lives. It is very common and nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about.
You can get HPV from any kind of skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, not just from penetrative sex.
This includes:
- vaginal, oral or anal sex
- any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area
- sharing sex toys
Some types of HPV (called “high risk” types) can cause cervical cancer. In most cases your body will get rid of HPV without it causing any problems. But sometimes HPV can stay in your body for a long time.
If high risk types of HPV stay in your body, they can cause changes to the cells in your cervix. These changes may become cervical cancer if not treated.
If you do not have a high risk type of HPV it is very unlikely you will get cervical cancer, even if you have had abnormal cell changes in your cervix before.
Who’s at risk of cervical cancer
If you have a cervix and have had any kind of sexual contact, with a man or a woman, you could get cervical cancer. This is because nearly all cervical cancers are caused by infection with high risk types of HPV.
You can get HPV through:
- vaginal, oral or anal sex
- any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area
- sharing sex toys
You’re still at risk of cervical cancer if:
- you have had the HPV vaccine – it does not protect you from all types of HPV, so you’re still at risk of cervical cancer
- you have only had 1 sexual partner – you can get HPV the first time you’re sexually active
- you have had the same partner, or not had sex, for a long time – you can have HPV for a long time without knowing it
- you’re a lesbian or bisexual – you’re at risk if you have had any sexual contact
- you’re a trans man with a cervix – read about if trans men should have cervical screening
- you have had a partial hysterectomy that did not remove all of your cervix
If you’ve never had any kind of sexual contact with a man or woman, you may decide not to go for cervical screening when you are invited. But you can still have a test if you want one.
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