LISTEN: Alexandria mum's warning to other women after cancer diagnosis

One in three women in Glasgow and the west are skipping their smear tests.

Published 31st Oct 2016

One in three women in Glasgow and the west are skipping their smear tests.

It's a five minute appointment that could save your life and today we're hearing from an Alexandria mum who missed her check-ups for more than two decades and has now been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Michelle McGinty’s now facing the prospect of a hysterectomy and doesn't want other women to make the same mistake – she’s been sharing her story with Clyde News:

Health boards warn the number of women being screened for cervical cancer has fallen to its lowest level for almost a decade.

NHS stats found that at the end of March 2016 just 69.2% of eligible women had turned up to their smear test in the last three years, down from 76.5% in 2007.

Women are only invited to go for a check-up from the age of 25, but Glasgow doctor Emily Crichton, who specialises in public health medicine, says many young women are failing to take up the offer:

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