A leading charity has called for action after Scotland reported its
second-lowest cervical screening statistics in more than 10 years.
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK’s only charity dedicated to
supporting women with cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities, is
calling on women to take up their cervical screening invitation as
figures announced recently show poor uptake.
Although the report shows a surge in women being screened inh 2008/9
and 2009/10 due to “the Jade Goody effect”, since 2001/2, the number of
women choosing to have the life saving test has declined almost year on
year to fall from a peak of 81.7 per cent to 73 per cent in 2011/12.
Charity director Robert Music said: “These figures are concerning.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in young women under 35
in the UK and it kills three women every day. Yet this is a cancer that
is largely preventable thanks to cervical screening.
“The UK screening programme saves around 5,000 lives every year yet
more and more Scottish women are putting off a visit to their GP.
“Through research commissioned by the charity, we have found several
barriers to screening attendance. These include women suffering fear or
embarrassment of the test as well as a lack of flexibility from both
GP’s for appointment times and employers allowing time off to have the
procedure. There was a poor understanding of cervical cancer generally.
“It is critical that everyone who has a role to play in reaching and
educating women about cervical cancer prevention does everything
possible to encourage them to get screened.”