BBlogFlow

'I had a normal smear test - three years later I had cervical cancer' - BBC

·7h ago

This story deserves to be shared

Send it to someone who'd care, or post it on your networks.

Facebook Twitter Email
Photo credit : A woman with blonde hair and brown roots is wearing a black sleeveless top and smiling at the camera. She is holding a white sign which reads "cheers to eight years cancer free, 13th April 2026"

1 hour agoChloe HughesWest MidlandsSophie BagnallSophie Bagnall was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 29"I had a perfectly normal smear and in three-and-a-half years, I had gone from being healthy to having cervical cancer. "Sophie Bagnall, 38, from Ironbridge in Shropshire, was diagnosed with cervical cancer when she was 29 after a routine smear test. Now eight years cancer-free, she said "nothing compares" to a cancer diagnosis, and urged women to have their test as soon as they are eligible. It comes as a new cervical screening mobile health hub is heading to Wolverhampton, in hopes of encouraging more eligible women to have their smear tests. "Every week, month, counts that you're late [to have the test] because with me, it wasn't like I was ten years over a smear, not at all," she said. "Any slight discomfort or embarrassment that people are fearful of from a smear test is nothing compared to having a cancer diagnosis. "Bagnall, who had part of her treatment at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital, had a normal screening at 25. She was due to have her next test three years later, but it was delayed by about six months because she was heavily pregnant.

This article is an excerpt. To read the full content, visit the original source. BBC

Reactions

0 comments

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Facebook Twitter

Related articles

South Africa’s HPV vaccination drive to protect girls from cervical cancer is working – what we know after 10 years - The Conversation

South Africa introduced a vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV) in public schools in 2014. The programme offered the vaccination to grade 4 girls aged nine years and older. Uptake was high from the start. About 87% of eligible girls received at least one dose during the first year. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with HPV, a very common virus transmitted through sexual contact. Most HPV infections clear naturally, but some high-risk types can persist and can eventually lead to cervical cancer. HPV types 16 and 18 alone are responsible for around 70% of cervical cancer cases worldwide.

The Conversation·

Screening for cervical cancer doesn’t have to be uncomfortable or time-consuming. - My Prince George Now

This is sponsored content paid for by an advertiser. It was created outside the newsroom and is intended for promotional purposes. The newsroom had no role in producing this material. Self-screening looks for HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer.  It can find people more likely to develop abnormal cell changes so they can get follow-up care to prevent cervical cancer.

My Prince George Now·

HPV Self-Sampling May Improve Cervical Screening Access - EMJ

HUMAN papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling could offer a promising approach to improving cervical cancer screening access among socially vulnerable migrant women, according to a mixed-methods study conducted in Portugal. Researchers found high levels of acceptability among women participating in a community-based HPV self-sampling intervention, with significant improvements in perceived comfort, confidence, and trust following the experience. The findings suggest that culturally adapted screening approaches delivered through trusted community organisations could help address persistent inequalities in cervical cancer prevention.

EMJ·

How Self-Care Can Fill Gaps in Cervical Cancer Screening - Think Global Health

In Eastern Africa, roughly 1 in 25 women will develop cervical cancer before the age of 75—and in Southern Africa the rate is even higher: cervical cancer is the primary cause of death from cancer for women in 29 sub-Saharan African countries. Africa's cervical cancer spread is driven by a combination of factors, including higher rates of human papillomavirus (HPV)—a sexually transmitted infection that could lead to cervical cancer—and low HPV vaccination rates, high HIV transmission, weaker health-system infrastructure, and limited access to screening and early treatment. Aid cuts have made prevention even more challenging: data released by the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) system, part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 shows a 40% decline in cervical cancer screenings among women living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy compared to the same quarter in fiscal year 2024.

Think Global Health·