{"id":20427,"date":"2025-01-19T23:27:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T00:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=20427"},"modified":"2025-01-20T01:26:24","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T01:26:24","slug":"cervical-screening-knowledge-gap-costing-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=20427","title":{"rendered":"Cervical screening knowledge gap ‘costing lives’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A knowledge gap around cervical screenings is currently “costing lives”, a cancer charity says.<\/p>\n

The Eve Appeal says more women need to know they can ask for adjustments to their cervical screenings, which can be painful, uncomfortable or distressing for some.<\/p>\n

The test is thought to save about 5,000 lives every year in the UK, but many women do not get tested.<\/p>\n

Research commissioned by the charity suggests most women do not know they can make the test easier by asking for longer appointments, smaller speculums, or move to more comfortable positions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The screening, which tests for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) – the virus that causes cervical cancer – is offered by the NHS to all women and people with a cervix aged between 25 and 64.<\/p>\n

The test involves taking a sample of cells from the cervix. If any abnormal cells are found, they can be removed or monitored to prevent cancer developing.<\/p>\n

However, according to latest NHS England data, more than five million eligible women are not up to date <\/a>with their routine screening, with the lowest uptake being among women aged between 25 and 29 (58%).<\/p>\n

Eve Appeal chief executive Athena Lamnisos said this was “worrying” and that any barriers people experience around the screenings could be “easily overcome”.<\/p>\n

“There are really simple, straightforward things that you can ask for that patients just aren’t aware of….basically, you can take control.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The survey of more than 1,100 women was carried out by YouGov ahead of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.<\/p>\n

The charity said women should know they can ask for screening adjustments<\/a> like:<\/p>\n