Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance is encouraging people to come forward for cervical screening by offering free cervical screening awareness sessions during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (23rd – 29th January).
The sessions are free and available online to anyone living or working in Humber and North Yorkshire. They will teach people about the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer, as well as providing advice about screening tests, the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccination programme.
Dr Dan Cottingham, CRUK GP Lead for the Cancer Alliance, said: “Cervical cancer is the most preventable cancer and cervical screening can help identify changes in your cervix and the cells, before cervical cancer starts. It’s important to educate and support people to have the confidence to come forward for their screening, which is why we’ve decided to offer a series of bitesize awareness sessions.
“Some people can be nervous about cervical screening because they are unsure of what it entails. Offering specific sessions helps us to alleviate people’s concerns and encourage them to attend their screening, which can catch any problems at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat.”
The Cancer Alliance’s Cancer Champions awareness sessions give people the skills and confidence to have conversations about cancer with family and friends, which in turn can encourage more people to attend screening or seek GP advice for any concerns they may have.
Syeda signed up to a Cancer Champions training session having lost a family member to cancer and being nervous of attending her cervical screening appointment.
She said: “I had spoken to my GP about cervical screening, but I was put off by the terminology used and didn’t fully understand the procedure, so I avoided going for my screening when I was invited. After attending the Cancer Champions training everything felt so much clearer. Things were explained really simply, and it gave me the confidence to book a screening appointment. I would encourage anyone to take up screening appointments when offered as early detection can make a big difference.”
Emma Lewin, Project Manager for the Cancer Champions programme, said: “We’ve had people come back to us after the training sessions to let us know that the training encouraged them to have screening or to speak to their GP about a concern they have had, and it’s potentially saved their life or that of someone they know.
“It’s a privilege to be able to make a difference to people like Syeda. I’m looking forward to delivering the cervical screening awareness sessions and announcing our next round of Cancer Champions sessions to continue making a difference and ultimately save lives.”
Cervical screening in England is open to women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64. People aged 24 to 49 will receive a letter every three years and those aged 50 to 64, every five years. More information is available on the NHS England website.
To reserve your place on one of the Cancer Alliance’s free cervical screening awareness sessions during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (23rd January to 29th January) visit the Cancer Alliance website.
