Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
Did you know the 23rd – 29th January is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. We have teamed up with the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, to help raise awareness on how we can eliminate cervical cancer in the UK.
Cervical cancer currently kills two women in the UK every day and is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. In 2020, the World Health Organisation launched a global call for action to eliminate cervical cancer.
#WeCan eliminate cervical cancer in the UK through encouraging more people to uptake the HPV vaccination, and attend their cervical screening (smear test). We are supporting Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s campaign and want to play our part in helping to end cervical cancer.
What are the signs of cervical cancer?
- Vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you
- Unexplained pain in your lower back or pelvis
- Pain or discomfort during sex
- Changes to vaginal discharge
It’s important to say that these symptoms are not usually cervical cancer but it’s important to contact your GP and get them checked out, to be safe.
Why Cervical Screenings Are Important
Did you know that when you go for a cervical screening, you’re being tested for human papillomavirus (HPV)?
HPV is an extremely common infection that’s spread through skin-to-skin contact. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by infection with high-risk HPV, which can sometimes cause abnormal cells to develop in the cervix. In the majority of cases, these abnormal cells will go away without the need for treatment. However, sometimes they can become cancerous. This is why cervical screening is so important, as it can detect the cells before they reach that stage.
Here 3 women tell us about their experiences with Cervical Cancer.
Meet Melanie who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2021. She says, “Looking back now, I’d had symptoms for a while. After my son was born in 2019, I went to my GP as my periods were different and I was getting some spotting in between. My GP sent me for an ultrasound on my ovaries and it came back fine.
I hadn’t been for a screening for a few years - due to pregnancy, delays with covid and staff availability. So I booked in for a smear test, it all felt routine as I had been for tests before but after this one, I experienced spotting afterwards.
A couple of weeks later my results included a referral to my local gynaecology ward at the hospital. Not long after my appointment, I was called back to get a diagnosis of stage 1b cervical cancer. I had to undergo a hysterectomy with removal of my cervix, part of my vagina, my lymph nodes and my ovaries. My surgery was complicated, it was estimated as a 3 hour operation but ended up taking just over 8 hours!
A few months later I was advised to have 5 weeks of chemo radiation and two brachytherapy boost treatments as a preventative measure so I could have the best chance of the cancer not returning. We had to take different approaches with both children as they had very different experiences and understandings of what was happening to mummy. We didn’t use the word cancer, opting instead for softer language. There’s no right way to explain it to a child but we are keen to keep the conversation going.
Jo’s was an absolute lifeline in terms of interpreting information and hearing from other women about their experiences. Jo’s gave so much more detail than any of the NHS pages and the personal stories are absolutely invaluable.”
Meet Karris who went for her first smear test in March 2021 She said, “When I went, I found the test fine. I’ve given birth so I found this comparatively easy!
I received the letter back about 8 weeks later to confirm I had high-risk HPV and severe cell changes, I was referred to colposcopy. The appointment came around quickly and I didn’t know what to expect when I went to it. When I arrived, they told me that I would be having LLETZ treatment there and then. I felt really unprepared. I understood that I needed the treatment, but I was really taken aback by the lack of time I had to think about what it meant.
It was then a six week wait for the results. I was told that I’d get a letter, so I knew something was wrong when I got a phone call telling me I needed to go in and speak to a consultant. My world came crashing down when they told me they had found early cervical cancer. They booked me in for a second LLETZ to see if the cancer had spread any higher, just to be certain.
Thankfully my results from the second LLETZ showed that the cancer had not spread and I was now cancer free. I felt so grateful.
I can honestly say the smear test saved my life. I had no symptoms and truly believed it would never happen to me. It can happen to anyone so please go for your smears!”
Meet Amy – “I had ignored my cervical screening invitations. I wasn’t being prudish nor was I scared, I was just busy. I had a really busy job, a toddler and focused on everything else in my life but making that appointment. Then, when I was 43 in 2018, I started experiencing symptoms that I just knew weren’t right such as irregular bleeding and pelvic pain. I thought it may have been the early menopause and so (thank god) I took myself off to the doctors, who identified cell changes after a biopsy it came back as cancerous.
In those moments when the doctor told me those three life changing words ‘you have cancer’, I felt like I was having an out of body experience and watching someone else’s life. My initial treatment plan was a radical hysterectomy but after a further scan, the plan was changed to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and brachytherapy, which I had in the summer of 2018.
You can feel a bit lost when you come out of your survival bubble of treatment and you’re faced with things like the menopause. I was left with some serious side effects which are constant reminders of what happened to me. I am so grateful to be clear of cancer, but it still affects me and has changed me as a person. Life has not been the same again – but in a good way too. Although it’s a cliché, I have changed my outlook and have made some very positive changes to my life.
I found Jo’s through searching for some reassurance. My consultant plays a medical role, and they were great - but the Jo’s Forum played a different role. There were many questions I didn’t ask the medical staff as I didn’t want to bother them but the Forum has been really helpful especially with dealing with the after effects of treatment.”
5 myths about HPV
1. It’s rare
Quite the opposite. It’s actually really common, so common in fact that four in every five people (80%) will have the virus at some point in their lives. This is why removing stigma around the virus is so important.
2. Only promiscuous people get HPV
You can get HPV the very first time you have sexual contact, so this is not true. HPV is passed on through skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, so anyone who has ever had any kind of sexual contact is at risk. If you have had several sexual partners, or one of your partners has, you simply have a higher chance of having come into contact with the virus. However, because HPV is really common, you can get it even if you have only ever had one partner.
HPV can be inactive (dormant) in the body for many years – even decades! – so if you have a long-term partner and find out you have HPV, it does not mean they have been unfaithful.
3. The HPV vaccine means you won’t get HPV
If you’ve had the HPV vaccination, you’re protected against at least 70% of cancer-causing HPV infections, but not fully protected. Attending smear tests is important whether you have been vaccinated or not, as it will detect abnormalities caused by other types of HPV.
4. If you have HPV you will probably get cancer
It is true that 99.7% of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, but most people will clear HPV without any problem. In order to protect yourself you should make sure you attend your smear tests when invited, get the HPV vaccination if you are eligible, and make sure you know the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer. Do visit your GP if you are concerned.
5. If you use condoms you won’t get HPV
Not true! Wearing condoms will reduce your risk of getting the virus. However, HPV can live on the skin in and around the whole genital area, which will not be covered by a condom, so it can be transmitted through sexual contact of any kind including any touching or genital to genital contact, as well as oral, vaginal and anal sex.
To find out more information about how to get involved during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week please visit the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust website.
If you need support please visit their website or call their Helpline on 0808 802 8000.