Cervical Cancer Week

Posted by: giovaninorelli - Posted on:

  • There are around 2,700 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in England every year, but we can make this a thing of the past thanks to cervical screening and HPV vaccination.
  • If you have received an invitation for cervical screening, please don’t wait. Call your GP practice to book an appointment as soon as possible. Evening and weekend appointments are available at some GP practices, making it more convenient for you to attend. Some local sexual health services also offer cervical screening.  
  • If you missed your last cervical screening, book an appointment with your GP practice now – it is not too late.
  • The NHS Cervical Screening Programme saves thousands of lives every year by checking for high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cervical cancers.  
  • High-risk HPV testing is a more sensitive and accurate test than the previous screening method (known as a smear test), which tested for abnormal cells, and is the best way to find out who is at higher risk of developing the cervical cell changes that over time could potentially lead to cervical cancer. 

About HPV

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a common group of viruses that can cause various conditions such as genital warts or cancer. 
  • High-risk HPV DNA is found in over 99% of all cervical cancers. Cervical screening checks for these types of the HPV virus which can cause cell changes. However, having HPV does not mean that you have or will develop cervical cancer. 
  • HPV is nothing to be embarrassed about and does not mean that any partner has been unfaithful. In many cases, your immune system will naturally get rid of HPV. 
  • Even if you’ve had a HPV vaccination it’s important that you attend your cervical screening appointment when invited because the HPV vaccine doesn’t protect against all strains of HPV. 
  • The HPV vaccination, cervical screening and treatment for cell changes can all help prevent cervical cancer.