Local MP Supports New Trust For Cervical Cancer Prevention Week

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has pledged his support to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s in its efforts to increase action for more women to take cervical cancer screenings.

Each year over 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 890 sadly lose their lives. Unfortunately screening for cervical cancer is at a 19 year low, despite increasing numbers of women diagnosed with the disease. The campaign is geared toward saving lives through early detection with 5 million screening opportunities that are made available each year.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from 22-28 January and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is launching their enormously successful cervical screening awareness campaign #SmearForSmear at 11am on Sunday 22 January. The campaign asks women (and men) to share smeared lipstick selfies with the message “Attend your smear test, reduce your risk of cervical cancer”. www.jostrust.org.uk/smearforsmearJo’s.

Justin Tomlinson MP said:  “I am very supportive of this campaign. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer amongst young women and is on the rise in women over 50.  Screening is the most effective way to detect the causes of cancer before they have a chance to develop, anyone concerned that they have not been screened for a long time, or who has perhaps never had a screening should take this important opportunity.” 

Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “We have one of the best cervical screening programmes in the world which saves approximately 5,000 lives a year. However, the number of women attending their screening is at a 19 year low. If we do not increase investment in prevention we will be faced with more women facing the physical and psychological cost of cervical cancer, increased burden on the NHS and state, and more lives lost.”

Anyone wishing for more information can contact Cervical Cancer Trust online via www.jostrust.org.uk or The National Helpline on 0808 802 8000.