Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Find out how the Cancer Alliance plans to work with hair and beauty salons to raise awareness.

Giving cervical cancer the chop

Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance is working with beauty and hair salons around the region to raise cervical cancer awareness this January.  

The Cancer Alliance has offered salons in low screening take-up areas a free online Cancer Champions training course.

By taking part, salon owners and their staff can become clued up on cervical cancer, and might just help save the lives of customers.  

In addition to the training, managers and staff will be given posters and stickers, to help customers learn more about cervical screening.

Keep an eye out for awareness raising in salons based in:

  • Goole
  • Grimsby
  • Hull
  • Scarborough
  • Scunthorpe

Reducing the risk

Every day, two women die of cervical cancer in England, yet 99.8% of cases are preventable. 

The best way to reduce your risk of cervical cancer is to attend your cervical screening appointment if you are invited - it can be uncomfortable, but not as painful as you might think. The actual screening takes just 10 minutes to complete and could save your life.

Through January, the Cancer Alliance is encouraging women and people with a cervix to significantly reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer.  

Screening appointments

All women aged 25 to 64 are invited by letter to attend a cervical screening appointment (a smear test) to check the health of their cervix. Cervical screening is not a test for cancer, it is a test to help prevent cancer.

Here, Sarah York, Lead Nurse Hysteroscopy and Colposcopy for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, offers reassurance to anyone with concerns about cervical screening appointments.

Cervical myth busting

There are lots of myths and confusion about cervical screening, which the Cancer Alliance would like to dispel.

For example, you should still have a cervical screening test if you've had the HPV vaccine.

Find out more in this myth busting video.

HPV explained

During the screening appointment, a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix. The sample will then be tested for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). If these types of cells are found, they can be treated before they get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.

All children aged 12 to 13 are offered the HPV vaccine, which helps to protect against all cancers caused by HPV.

For more information, check out Yorkshire Cancer Research's video and key facts.

Cervical cancer symptoms

It is important to know what is normal for you, so you can spot signs of cervical cancer in the earliest stages. Some of the main symptoms to be aware of are:

  • vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or heavier periods than usual
  • pain during sex
  • changes to your vaginal discharge

In this video, Dr Tami Byass of Eastgate Medical Group, Hornsea, goes into more detail.

Patient story

Emma Jones, 39, is an A&E Housekeeper at Hull Royal Infirmary. 

In 2021, she received an HPV-positive result from cervical screening, and was then diagnosed with stage two cervical cancer. 

Emma had lost her mother to cancer, but following chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brachytherapy, she was declared cancer-free in 2022.

Spreading the message

During January, members of the Cancer Alliance will be reaching out to a number of groups to spread awareness of cervical cancer and the screening programme. These include:

  • ethnic minority communities
  • parent and baby groups
  • Family Hubs
  • people with learning disabilities

Want to help?

Cervical cancer awareness will be spread across the Cancer Alliance’s social media channels too. Follow the Cancer Alliance on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to help share the messages.

You can find contact information for support groups in our region for cervical cancer and other forms of the disease here.

You can also help the Cancer Alliance by completing surveys on cancer experience of care, and attitudes to cancer.