The worst cervical cancer campaign ever...

[PizzazzRoxyStorma]

...well isn't this one special?

https://x.com/northwestcancer/status/1724378139059503400?s=46&t=FvzNePXGikWIJeOA86F8cg

No! No! Wims… we are just speaking from being prudish and not appreciative of such a modern empowering ad campaign!

Using language that doesn’t make clear that this is a female only health issue (in plain English)
The article clearly says the word women.
That women should go for a smear.

I suggest you read the actual sign. The one you are applauding. If I missed the word women on that sign, please highlight it on the photo.

Or didn’t you actually read the sign in the photo. It is easy enough to find and increase to read. Maybe you should do that before making comments of support.

There are many things that are very very wrong with that campaign.

One of them is that the installation appears to be in a railway station concourse. Public transport is too often a hostile and intimidating environment for women and girls in which they are at risk of sexual harassment. And the absolute geniuses at cancer research think that displaying facsimiles of women’s naked legs, on a station concourse, which will have stag dos, football fans, and your common or garden perves passing through, is just the perfect way to make women safer?

But I’m sure which ever marketing guru came up with that thinks it’ll do wonders for their CV.

It might get people talking, but will it get women booking?

This is obviously aimed at women who are putting off going for a smear test, maybe because of embarrassment, sexual trauma, fear of pain, etc.

So is telling a rape or sexual assault victim who is suffering trauma to 'not keep your legs crossed' really going to encourage her to book an appointment? Is a woman who suffers from vaginismus suddenly going to feel at ease because she's told it's as simple as just 'open yer legs'?

I think not.

Here. This is the wording.

Almost 1 in 3 people aged 25-49 in the North West don’t attend their cervical screening. Yet our cervical cancer rates are 19% higher than the rest of England. Screening helps lower your chances of getting cervical cancer. That’s why it's so important to not leave your risk of developing cervical cancer to chance.

Please* *point out the word female or woman.

I said article. The article linked (maybe you didnt read past the ad board photo?)

Cervical cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the cervix and mostly affects women and people with cervixes under the age of 45
Clearly uses the word women.

We’re not talking about the article. We’re talking about the big display in the station, and the reaction of women who see it.

The article is not the topic of the thread. Just admit that you jumped in to defend the signs without reading the actual signs. My commenr quoted your support of the sign, that you are now trying to make the thread about the article is weak.

But the question can be asked about the article, what women in the target group are going to read that press release in the charity’s site? And how would they even take notice of it if they have not read the sign?

It's painful not embarrassing. Change the test and watch the numbers soar.

so cost effective - they can re-use the same add for prostrate exams too.

honestly I despair. using the word woman is not offensive. why, oh why do these initiatives not use the word?

Makes me think of a Sarah Lucas art installation.

So often seen on MN and in society.

Cool women who matter have no boundaries. And that's ok, because any women not like them don't matter.

But the question can be asked about the article, what women in the target group are going to read that press release in the charity’s site?
Yes, I think you're right, as in not everyone will read press releases or articles so it would make more sense to use the same wording on the concourse sign than is in the article, which does actually use the word women too.
I don't know what the answer is to getting more people to go for a smear, I think it's really important to go for one so my immediate reaction was that raising awareness of going for your smear is good.
I know it's not always that easy for some though so am finding the different opinions and experiences interesting, we're all different so there's not one easy way of getting everyone to go for one who needs one.

Only women need smear tests not people.

No! No! Wims… we are just speaking from being prudish and not appreciative of such a modern empowering ad campaign!

Cool women who matter have no boundaries. And that's ok, because any women not like them don't matter

Nobody on here has said anything like that though?!
Nobody has said it's prudish not to want one, or that women who have different life experiences/opinions don't matter.
Of course they matter, we all do

This!

I am a Sexual Abuse and Assault survivor.

My first smear at 22 was horrifically painful as I 'locked up' below.

I've had several since of course, and also had children, but my last smear I still nearly walked out when presented with a man. I had a timed slot and a nabothian cyst blocking the entrance to my cervix which had prevented my local surgery nurse doing the procedure a year before, and I was worried about it so felt I had to go through with it.

I hated it. I told myself never again would I agree to accepting a male nurse for a smear test.

This Ad reeks of sexual innuendo, and I'd be mortified to think what a group of rowdy drunk sports fans will be saying as they walk past in the busy station.

As a young body conscious woman with an experience of negative sex I'd be put off immediately. It would have just justified my concerns that some people performing cervical smears may have a sexual fetish.

That installation is very off-putting.

Well, I can tell you confidently that in the aim of reaching a group of women who have language differences and who may be horrified by the sexual innuendo of this campaign, this campaign is not going to work. That very first paragraph of the article repeated the text that was on the sign.

So, someone already feeling this was not appropriate to them will simply click away from it after reading that. Why the fuck would they read it through? And why the fuck would they even be clicking to the site in any case?

How would they be expected to land there?

And if they did randomly land on the site and saw this, who in that demographic would fucking even think this charity was for them?

A multi layered fail.

I see.

So “it doesn't offend me” was not trying to make other women who were pointing out how this was offensive feel shamed by them feeling offended.

Ok…. Good to know.

The press release article on their website mentions the word 'woman' once.

We already know that when polled half of women or more in the UK did not not know they had a cervix. The page linked from that twitter post didn't even really discuss this. Just kept using language that was indirect and relied on someone understanding they had a cervix.

So the whole 'nudge nudge ha ha uncross your legs ladies' nonsense might actually decrease participation.

I agree. Have they actually looked at why women don't attend smears? "Don't fear your smear?" Fuck off.

But I’m sure which ever marketing guru came up with that thinks it’ll do wonders for their CV

Exactly. It smacks of some wanky ad agency who are really pleased with themselves.

It isn't, though. It makes a complete nonsense of the stats. It obscures the target audience. And for women who may be worried about not getting a female health professional, the use of 'people' instead of women might increase that fear.

Not fine at all.

The press release article on their website mentions the word 'woman' once

We already know that when polled half of women or more in the UK did not not know they had a cervix.

So even if the word women is included like on the press release article, if women still don't know they have a cervix when the word's there, it's not the inclusion or not of the word women that's the problem, so not sure where you'd go from there?
More education seems to be the solution in that case