Women Urged To Attend Cervical Screenings

Over one in five women in Northern Ireland are failing to attend cervical screenings, which could lead to an increase in the number of cervical cancer diagnoses across the region, according to a charity.

UK-based Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has said cervical screenings are seeing an annual uptake of 77.9% across all eligible age groups in Northern Ireland. This number drops to just 72.8% for women aged 25-29 and 71.5% for 60-64 year olds. New data shows that if screening increased in Northern Ireland to 85% there would be a 23% drop in numbers diagnosed with cervical cancer in just one year and a 27% reduction in deaths over five years, the charity said. If 100% attended annually, incidence could decrease by 39% in one year and deaths could drop by 44% over five years.

Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said: "Cervical cancer is an unusual cancer because it can often be prevented, yet the numbers of women being diagnosed across the UK has reached its highest level since 1999, which would seem to directly correlate with the downward trend in screening uptake. This report clearly shows that if we could achieve just a small percentage increase in screening uptake over the next few years, the resultant impact on both women facing a diagnosis and numbers dying could be dramatically reduced from thousands each year to just a few hundred.

"However if screening uptake continues to fall this will lead to a rise in the number of women being told they have cervical cancer. We see daily how devastating the impact of a diagnosis can be financially, physically and emotionally. It’s now paramount that all those who can help turn this around – government, policy and health influencers both locally and nationally, GPs and employers – work together to help make this a disease of the past."

(IT/MH)