NHS Cervical Screening Programme – Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
(23-29 January 2023)
Together #WeCan work towards a day where cervical cancer is a thing of the past and as a charity, we need your help. This Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, get involved to raise awareness and help make it a reality!
Get involved on social media
Join the #WeCan conversation on social media. Share your experience, encourage others to take up the HPV vaccination and cervical screening, and call on the Government to do more to prevent more cervical cancers.
Use #WeCan and #CervicalCancerPreventionWeek and don’t forget to tag us. Together, we can end cervical cancer.
In the last year (21/22) the NHS sent out more screening invitations than ever before – more than 5 million – and 3.5 million people came forward for testing.
Screening helps prevent cervical cancer by using a highly effective test to check for high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is found in over 99% of all cervical cancers and which may cause abnormal cells to develop in the cervix. These cells can, over time, turn into cancer if left untreated.
Having HPV does not mean someone has or will develop cervical cancer. It is a common virus that most people have at some point in their life without knowing it, which usually goes away on its own. If cell changes are identified early cervical cancer can be prevented from developing.
The NHS also offers the HPV vaccination to all children aged 12 and 13 at school in Year 8, up until school leaving age, with numerous catch-up opportunities provided by the School Aged Vaccination Teams. GP practices also offer vaccination for those who may have missed it in school, from age 14 up until 25.
HPV vaccination protects against the most common types of HPV, but it is still important to attend a cervical screening appointment when invited because the HPV vaccine does not protect against all strains of HPV.
Cervical screening is available by appointment at local GP practices and at some local sexual health services.
Contact your local surgery to be booked in for your smear appointment, we have appointments at all times in the week including weekends.