Poll - Smears, HPV, cervical cancer

[tribpot]

Hi all,

I've mentioned a few times a friend of mine who was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year. She finished her treatment a few months ago and so far is doing really well. She's doing a course on Women in Governance at the moment and needs to do a presentation as if it's to a board or committee of community decision makers. Her topic is Educating Young Women on Smear tests and wanted to poll some online communities to get some statistics for the presentation.

Her question is:

Did you ever receive and understand education about the link between smear tests and HPV and cervical cancer?

She's only sharing this information between the other women on her course and the tutor.

There are five possible answers, although she invites comments as well:

• Yes, and had regular smears
• Yes, and did not have regular smears
• No, but I still had regular smears
• No, and didn't have regular smears but would have done had I known
• No, and no smears but would not have made any difference anyway

Thanks all

Thanks so much to all for your help with this, much appreciated. My friend has asked me to post a link to the Tell Someone campaign which talks about the HPV in more detail, and also to her blog which she has written ever since she was diagnosed, five weeks after her wedding

I should say as well how brilliantly she has coped with this horrendous turn of fate; she's lost the chance to have children biologically as a result and I know we can all imagine the grief that that brings with it.

I'm very, very saddened at the lack of information and education provided to British women about this virus. I wonder how many women lose their fertility, health and even lives by such ignorance on the part of the people they trust to provide them w/healthcare.

NO ONE should die of cervical cancer - it is truly very, very preventable w/regular smears.

I was treated in a clinic for indigent women, yet was informed at length by a nurse practitioner about HPV and the possible consequences.

QE...

DH's collegue died last night

On a lighter note - Expat - was that a clinic for 'indignant' women?!

I didn't have the money to be indignant, Highlander, but thanks for the compliment! Good ol' Planned Parenthood!

GREAT treatment all the way. They save a lot of lives there.

Higlander thats very sad.