One in three women in Bucks not attending cervical cancer screening
This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
People across Bucks, Beds, and Herts are being urged to take note of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week which is taking place between the 23-29 January.
Residents of the three counties are being urged to look out for a letter from their GP inviting them to attend a cervical cancer screening test, and go along if required.
Around 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 800 die from the disease each year in the UK.
But Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust insists "the UK has the tools" to eradicate the disease through improvements to screening, public awareness, and vaccine uptake.
Cervical cancer screenings and HPV vaccination take up falling
According to a new report published by the charity, almost one in three women across the UK are not up to date with their cervical screening, "with screening coverage at its lowest level in 20 years".
Uptake of the HPV vaccine for the 2021/22 school year also fell by 7% for girls and 8.6% for boys year on year.
What is the HPV vaccine?
The HPV vaccine has been routinely offered in schools to girls aged 12 to 13 since 2008 and to boys the same age since September 2019.
Around 13 high-risk types of HPV cause 99.7% of cervical cancers.
As a result of vaccination, cervical cancer has been almost eliminated in women born since September 1995, that's according to Jo's Trust.
What do they charity want?
The charity is now calling for more education around the vaccine, screenings, and cervical cancer, as well as swift action regarding the recruitment and retention of staff working in the field.
Samantha Dixon, CEO of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: "A world without cervical cancer doesn't have to be a pipe dream.
"The UK has the tools to make it a reality, which is incredibly exciting.
"We need Government action to get there as soon as possible but everyone can play their part.
"Going for cervical screening when invited and making sure your child is vaccinated against HPV will help make cervical cancer a thing of the past."