To mark Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, we feature a "Public Cervix Announcement" by Nightingale Cancer Support, while Healthwatch Enfield launch an online survey designed to find out why the uptake of screening for both cervical cancer and breast cancer is so low in the borough.
Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
By now you've probably read 'Cervical Cancer Awareness Month' more times than you can count. But while seeing this phrase all over news and media for the last month, I want to ask: What have you learnt?
- Have you learnt that 99.8% of cervical cancers are preventable?
- Have you learnt that 1 in 3 people don't attend their cervical screening test?
- Have you learnt what a cervix is?
A lot of information gets shared during these awareness months that we hope will stick with you. These aren't just flashy marketing campaigns but ways to remind you how important it is to be aware of your body, common symptoms and show that regular check ups save lives.
Learn more about common symptoms
Many people worry about attending cervical screening appointments due to anxiety, embarrassment, a horrible previous experience, post-menopause body changes, existing health worries or concerns about the procedure.
And that's totally ok!
When I brought up Smear Fear to The Nightingale staff it started a 30 minute chat about all our different experiences, our changing bodies, our fears and how that's impacted how regularly we book our Smear Tests.
Smear Fear is totally normal but it shouldn't stop anyone from getting a potentially life saving test.
To help, Macmillan have a wonderful article with some really helpful tips to overcoming Smear Fear. We suggest you have a read to ease your worries.
And finally...could you do us a favour?
- Book your smear test today. Before you forget about reading this. Before all the articles about Cervical Cancer fade away. Before you get another text from your GP saying you're over due the test.
- Share this information. All this cervical talk might not apply to you, but I'm sure it does to someone you know and you could help them with a simple click of the forward button.
EARLY DETECTION IS THE BEST PREVENTION
Healthwatch Enfield Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Survey 2025
Healthwatch Enfield is running a survey to understand why people miss cervical and breast cancer screenings and how to make them more accessible.
The government target for screening coverage is 80% for both breast and cervical cancer, but there is a long way to go.
In 2022 breast screening coverage rates across North Central London boroughs were much lower than the England average of 64.9%
In 2022, only 63.9% of 25-49 year-olds in Enfield were screened for cervical cancer
Healthwatch Enfield is running a survey to understand why people miss cervical and breast cancer screenings and how to make them more accessible.
All Enfield residents who are eligible for cervical and/or breast cancer screening are eligible to take the survey. Please click the link below to share your experiences.
Find out whether you are eligible for breast or cervical cancer screening
Why is Cancer Screening Important?
Breast cancer screening
Regular breast cancer screening is one of the best ways to spot a cancer that is too small to feel or see. They help to detect cancer early on, which means:
- Treatment is more likely to be successful.
- You are less likely to need a mastectomy (having a breast removed).
- It is more likely you'll be cured.
It saves around 1,300 lives every year in the UK.
Cervical cancer screening
Cervical cancer screening is one of the best ways to protect yourself from cervical cancer. It is not a test to detect cancer, it's a test to prevent cancer.
They check to see how healthy your cervix is and can find any abnormal changes before they turn into cancer. This means you can be treated before you develop cervical cancer.
