Almost a third of young women are missing vital checks for cervical cancer.
Uptake is at its lowest level on record and experts blame a lack of GP appointments. Most surgeries offer the checks only during office hours and many women are reluctant to take time off work.
Some are too embarrassed to tell bosses why they need to be absent while others don’t want to use up a day’s holiday.
The figures are particularly concerning as cervical cancer rates are rising among young women, partly due to unprotected sex.
There are 3 200 new cases a year and more than half occur in the under 45s age range. The illness claims 890 lives annually and it is known as a silent killer because there are so few symptoms.
Since the 1980s, all women aged 25 to 65 have been offered cervical cancer screening, or smear tests, every three to five years. Carried out by nurses at GP surgeries, the tests detect abnormal changes in the lining of the cervix.
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Doctors can then remove these cells before they become cancerous, preventing the disease from developing. But figures from NHS Digital for 2016 show that 31 per cent of women aged 25 to 49 had missed their most recent smear test. This is up from 28 per cent in 2015 and 24 per cent in 2011.
Across all ages 23.5 per cent have not had a test in the past five years. This is the worst rate since records began in 1997, when only 18 per cent had not had a screening.
Cervical cancer rates among the under 35s age range have risen by 45 per cent in the past decade, driven by unprotected sex. The illness is usually caused by the HPV virus or other sexually transmitted infections.
Robert Music, chief executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said, the new data makes bleak reading. As we see screening coverage go down year on year, we are also seeing the numbers diagnosed with cervical cancer rise.
If we do not start to immediately reverse declining coverage then tragically we will see more diagnoses and lives lost from what is a largely preventable disease. It is essential that the Government, commissioners and public health leads invest in ensuring that every woman understands the role of screening in preventing cervical cancer.
The charity’s own research has found that many women are put off from going to screening by inflexible GP appointments and having to take time off work. A recent survey of 2 700 women found that 35 per cent would have attended had their surgery been open outside office hours.
Previous studies showed that smear tests save up to 2 000 lives a year.
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Dr Anne Mackie, director of screening at Public Health England said, Cervical screening prevents thousands of cancers so it’s important women take up the opportunity to be screened.
We’re supporting local services to encourage more women to attend screening through clearer information and tailored reminders. We have also asked the independent National Screening Committee to consider the merits of self-testing for women not taking the test.
Dr Julie Sharp, ofCancer Research UK, added that it’s important to remember that cervical screening is for women without symptoms. Any women experiencing any unusual or persistent bleeding or pain should get it checked out by their GP.
Daily Mail