Changes to cervical screening

[cervicalcancersurvivor]

Hello! 👋 I’d be very grateful if you could sign & share my petition re changes to cervical screening in the UK! ‼️ Had my test been this year, they would have missed my CGIN and stage 1b1 adenocarcinoma, I’d have been sent away for 3 years and not survived much longer than that 😥

Link below & please share far and wide! I can also post further links about the changes below
[[https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/549631
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/549631]]

I had noticed that at my last smear. No HPV so no checking needed. It did stroke me as weird, isn't checking just an under the microscope jobby? How long can it take?

It costs £9 to check for HPV and a further £18 to check for abnormal cells, so they think it's gonna save about 13mil. Quite terrifying as I would have been missed! I had a trachelectomy June last year and got the all clear the following month. Hard to imagine what would have happened if they hadn't checked me for abnormal cells!

Bumping for you but you might want to stick this in chat or AIBU for more traffic

This has not been done for cost cutting reasons. Huge trials have shown that primary hpv testing saves the lives of more women overall. There is no added benefit to cytology. Unfortunately some people will always be missed but on a population level this is better.

Screening programmes are about preventing the largest possible numbers of deaths and this is a good change, even though it seems counter intuitive.

Appreciate that it's a small percent of HPV negative, but as I wouldn't have made it to my 30th birthday had I not been checked for abnormal cells, this needs to be looked at. I know at least 10 other women that also had HPV negative smears whilst they had a tumour and I've received more messages since starting the petition saying the same.

I’m really glad your tumour was found and I wish you all the best for the future.

@herrcomesthenamechanger

Bumping for you but you might want to stick this in chat or AIBU for more traffic

Thank you! Not sure how it works as I've just got the app, don't want to over spam threads and annoy people! 😣

Technically you’re not supposed to put petitions outside of the petitions board. I think this one roll probably get moved at some point.

@PurpleDaisies

I’m really glad your tumour was found and I wish you all the best for the future.

Thank you! I've spoken to a few consultants that have said the same as you but they've also said they worry CGIN and endo cervical cancer won't be picked up now so something needs to be looked at, one suggested an audit of the whole program... doubt anything will come of it but I'm trying my best to raise awareness as a lot of people have no idea it's changed!

Thank you x

I think you would attract more signatures if you edited the petition a bit. Layman’s terms would help for people unfamiliar with smear tests (eg I’m 23 and have never had a smear). It is a bit difficult to follow without extra research.

With the latest changes, - just replace with “currently”

if you do not have high-risk HPV, your sample will not be looked at for cell changes. This will without a doubt increase cervical cancer deaths and later stage diagnosis.

There’s a jump between the two sentences. I would plainly point out that your issue is that cervical cancer can be missed and the cost of life is too immense.

Thanks!! Not sure if I can edit after they've published it, will email tomorrow