It is estimated that one million people have missed their smear test at the time of the pandemic.
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Because of rumors circulating around the school playground and misunderstandings in adults, smear tests still have a bit of a bad reputation as being painful and horrible. From January 18 to 24 charities are disposing of the myths about pap smears as part of Cervical Cancer Awareness Week. As clinics closed their doors throughout 2020 to collapse in line with government restrictions, many people had to lose registered procedures and jobs. One charity has suggested that home smear testing could be a good solution during Covid-19 and could make testing more accessible to vulnerable groups outside of pandemic disease.
Breast cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. Although mortality was once high, this has fallen over the last five decades as a result of improvements in protective care. During your screening, your doctor will take a sample of cells from your cervix to look for changes caused by human papillomavirus (HPV.) A new study by the charity, Cervical Cancer Trust Jo found that 32% of people prefer to take HPV self-sampling at home rather than attending a cervical screening by a clinician. This rose to 62% if it was easy and reliable.
Clinicians have seen a drop in people attending their smear tests during the pandemic. More than 500,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. However, according to Cancer Research UK, 99.8% of cases are preventable. During the pandemic, an estimated one million people missed a pap smear meeting. This is according to data showing a reduction in cancer screens across the board over the last twelve months.
Less than one in 10 people told the Cervical Cancer Trust Jo they would definitely not attend the screening at lockdown and 22% said they felt less likely to attend. Cervical screens are close-knit jobs and when asked why they would not serve 25% of people they said they were concerned about the risk of contracting with Covid-19. Smear tests at home would eliminate the hassle of going to the doctors.
“We want to emphasize that it is extremely important that women continue to attend their cervical screening meetings as they can save lives,” said Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of. Lawyer and Gynecologist, “We fully support calls to make cervical screening more accessible and would welcome the introduction of HPV self-testing devices as part of the cervical screening program. In countries where this is already offered, there has been great success and it has increased the number of women screening. ”
Your cervical screening may feel like another duty right now. However, it could save your life. Over the past few years, there has been a slight increase in people attending their smear tests. However, charities have said it is not accessible to all. According to the Jo Cervical Cancer Trust, 88% of women with a physical disability say cervical screening is more difficult. Similarly, because of the nature of the screens, they can be very motivating for survivors of sexual violence. Only half said they felt comfortable attending a test at their doctors.
By creating devices at home, cervical screens may become more widely available to people who have never seen them that were not easily accessible. Commenting on the approach, Jenny Halpern-Prince, co-founder and chair of The Lady Garden Foundation, said, “Overall your screening should not be a painful experience. If you have any concerns or worries let your nurse know before the test. There are several speculums of different sizes so ask the smallest ones to start if that makes you feel more comfortable. ”
Throughout Cervical Cancer Awareness Week charities are working to make cervical screens much more accessible through pandemics and beyond. There are still a number of misunderstandings surrounding smear tests and you may not be able to attend for a number of reasons. However, doctors have said that while Covid-19 may cause back pain, it is crucial that you reschedule your smear test and get more information from your doctor or specialists. agad.