Cervical Cancer Prevention Week takes place from 21-28 January, aiming to emphasize the significance of cervical screening, its role in prevention, and early detection of the disease thus saving many lives and reducing fatalities by up to 70%. Liverpool has a significant number of one-third of women who have missed their scheduled appointments due to reasons such as family obligations, work, or feeling uncomfortable about the examination.
This week serves as a reminder for those aged between 25 and 64 to prioritize their screening and take a simple step towards safeguarding their health. Health officials urge women not to wait and book their appointment as soon as possible. People are reminded that if they missed their last GP appointment, they don’t need to wait for another letter.
Prof Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health, Liverpool City Council, stated that the combination of the HPV vaccine and cervical screening has eradicated cervical cancer from being a fatal disease. The vaccine and screening process are pivotal in detecting changes in cells, so they can be treated before they have the opportunity to develop into cancer. Dr. Jill Kirkman, Cancer Lead GP at NHS Liverpool Place, assured women that the appointment would be pain-free and done with the utmost care and sensitivity. She also emphasized the importance of screening preventing HPV and ensuring survival rates.
The NHS has started a mobile cervical screening service trial to make screening more accessible. It is functional from January to March and accepts drop-in sessions without any appointment. People can find updates on the Liverpool City Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside social media pages to know more about this service. Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing, and Culture, revealed in a recent statement that the State of Health in the City 2040 report had predicted a rise in the number of people living with cancer. To alter this projection, the NHS, and Liverpool city council are making joint efforts to offer new vaccines and screening programs to eliminate cervical cancer in the future completely.
The week would serve as a reminder to women that they should attend cervical screening appointments even if they had the HPV vaccine. HPV vaccines serve as a preventive measure while routine screening provides early detection of changes in cervical cells. Cervical screening is a fundamental step in protecting one’s life from cervical cancer, emphasized health officials at the start of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
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