The worst cervical cancer campaign ever...

[PizzazzRoxyStorma]

...well isn't this one special?

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

The prostate cancer ones are very similar.

Eg give prostate cancer the finger.

There’s also the weird additional attitude of judgement that surrounds the sexually transmitted nature of HPV. Yes almost, but every sexually active has been exposed now you’ve piled in a whole thing about how the cancer is somehow something you caused.

And the simple fact that cervical screening does not necessarily save lives. It’s not a guarantee that, if you get your smear test on time every time, any cancer will be caught early and you’ll be treated and be fine.

Indeed all of that contributes to some feeling that it is somehow your fault if you got cancer and it wasn’t discovered until too late. You should have gone for your smear tests. Shouldn’t you?

I had a good friend who died from
cervical cancer. Most cervical cancers are slow growing and can be ‘caught’ but she was unlucky enough to get an unusually aggressive cancer that developed to stage 4 between smear tests. The thing is, there should be no need to qualify any of it with ‘and she did get her smear tests on time every time’, as if there needs to be a determination of what level of blame she bore in being unluckily enough to get cervical cancer.

The whole discussion around cervical screening has been made problematic and toxic and it’s not ok. Campaigns like this one just add insult to injury.

You don't realise that UnremarkableBeasts is explaining that your messages come across as YOU telling women on this thread that they are silly and irrational? Which they do.

How is it misogyny if women call you out on it?

You seriously need to calm down.

This forum is about having a discussion, not beating someone down until they submit to your way of thinking.

I’m sorry if the word ‘man’ triggers you.

The wording is designed to empower women and as a PP said who works in this area, it will empower some women and encourage them to have a smear test and potentially save their life.

There has been a lot of backlash from people on SM and the comments from men have been highlighted the most, which is why I raised the point.
There are also male posters on here too.

It may not reach every woman and perhaps just as many women have an issue with the wording as men do but if it helps a small number of women then I’m all for it.

Why is my opinion as a woman and all of the other women who have commented on here or on SM, less valid than your opinion?

I am a silly woman, irrational, misinformed, stupid - great choice of words.

You are the only poster on this thread telling actual women that they’re irrational and not capable of having a sensible conversation about this.

The rest of us are saying ‘listen to women’. Even the ones you think are ‘projecting’.

You seriously need to calm down.

now we’ve got a ‘calm down dear’.

If we're going to talk about men, then:
Reasons (misogynistic) men tell women to close or cross their legs:

• perceived promiscuity
• premarital sex at all in a culture where that's frowned on
• unwanted pregnancy
• more children than the man thinks she should have

Reasons (misogynistic) men tell women to open or spread their legs:

• vulgar catcalling or verbal harassment
• outright pressuring a woman to have sex

A campaign to encourage women to take up the offer of a screening test doesn't seem like the appropriate place to make a point to men about list 1, especially if by doing so it brings list 2 to women's minds. Addressing men's attitudes to women's sexual behaviors should have nothing at all to do with encouraging women to get a smear test. It's totally irrelevant.

*It may not reach every woman and perhaps just as many women have an issue with the wording as men do but if it helps a small number of women then I’m all for it"
Yes, nothing will ever speak to every single woman as we're all individuals with different opinions, so even if it reaches some who wouldn't have thought about it before or gone for one that's a good thing

No she/he isn’t.

I’ve not said or implied any women is silly or irrational.

I’ve said several times that this is their own choice and no one should feel forced or attacked by not having a smear test.

All I’ve said is if this campaign can encourage a small number of women to save their life, then that is great.

Using words like irrational, silly, stupid and misinformed just because I have a different opinion is extremely misogynistic.

I’m not sure why I’m getting attacked on here, when all I’ve done is be supportive of women.

Where have I called any woman irrational?

Please don’t lie.

I am listening to women.
I am a woman, I have lots of women friends and family and I’ve seen the comments by women on SM.

Yet for some reason our opinions aren’t as important as yours.

@Night409 I genuinely suggest reading UnremarkableBeasts' 15:10 post again as I think you've misinterpreted - her use of 'you' isn't directed at you Night409. It's paraphrased responses to the 'women who have objections'

I find it extremely offensive for reasons I won't share. I think whoever's behind that campaign need to listen to women and find out why so many are not going for smears. That image suggests they haven't even considered traumatised women.

No she/he isn’t.

Actually @NeighbourhoodWatchPotholeDivision has summarised what I WAS saying.

you are the one telling women to calm down and stop projecting. That is ‘oh stop being so silly and irrational’.

You are the one insisting that telling women to open their leg is empowering - despite many women (including me) saying it simply is not.

There’s simply no point in engaging further with you.

"Calm down dear".

Brilliant.

You are not on generic "SM".

You are on mumsnet, talking to women about a campaign about women's healthcare. Well, I say talking to. You have been talking at other posters. I am absolutely certain that you only noticed men's responses to the campaign on other social media. The male users of MN aren't on this thread, which is probably why you won't engage with anything anyone actually types here.

Women still exist though, even if you stick your fingers in your ears when we say we don't like the ad.

The point isn’t that some women will respond well to this and some not, but that it will actively repel or trigger many of the groups of women who ‘most need’ the message. It’s not neutral, it’s sexualising something medical - when that actually happens it’s abusive and traumatic.

I'm not sure a campaign that appeals to a tiny minority whilst making the significant majority feel uncomfortable/ traumatized/ whatever they feel that isn't a positive reaction is actually a good one.

Telling men to play [with their] ball(s) is in no way comparable to telling women to open their legs.

No I have not said any of those things.

You are twisting my words completely and you called me vile names and are now trying to turn it around and act like I was the one calling other women those vile names, when I’ve not actually said one bad word about women at all.

I told one poster to calm down AFTER you called me vile names and that was because they were changing their font to huge letters and putting them in bold aka shouting in text.

This is a discussion you don’t need to call me vile names and the other poster doesn’t need to shout in text.

If you don’t agree with myself or other women’s views, then that’s fine.

I don’t agree with many on here either but I’ve not resorted to insults, name calling or shouting.

I don’t have an issue with the campaign, as many other women don’t.

There have been comments from women working in this area that have said that some would find this empowering and would help to break down the stigma surrounding smear tests - you do not get to say that these women are wrong.

All I care about is women having informed choices and not having to worry about the stigma or feeling embarrassed by something that could literally save their life.

If this campaign increases the amount of women having smear tests, then great.

If you think you have a better campaign idea, then please go ahead and contact them and let them know and I would fully support it.

Of course there are men on here.

And yes I have been engaging with posters on this thread.
Please don’t lie.

I am not the only poster on this thread who doesn’t have an issue with this campaign.

Why is your opinion more valid than mine or any other woman?

Literally no one called you ‘vile names’.

Do you always play the victim when people disagree with you?

That is a fair point.

Do we focus on increasing the number of women getting smears or focus on keeping the women that do already have them.

Will you now stop getting smears based on this campaign?

Why is your opinion more valid than mine or any other woman?

You and the women who agree with you seem to be women who don't have difficulty having smear s, and cannot comprehend the difficulties of women who do.

Your opinion on the efficacy of this programme is automatically less valid than the opinion of the target audience, many of whom are trauma-impacted by sexual violence.

The point of the campaign is that the percentage of women sorry, people who get smear tests in North West England is lower than in other regions.

Its aim is to increase that percentage

We will see whether it goes up after this campaign.

I'll bet it doesn't, and I'm not a betting person.

I’m not in this position but you have my support and express your correct views well

Very fair point.

But the campaign is obviously not targeting those women.
It is targeting the women who don’t have them due to stigma or embarrassment.

IMO if this campaign increases the number of women who are getting smears and saving their lives, then it is a good thing.

This issue, which I hadn’t thought of, is like a PP said that it’s going to stop the women who are getting smears from now getting them.

I would be quite shocked if women who regularly get smears, now stop getting them because of this campaign.

So what sort of campaign would reach women who have trauma due to sexual abuse?

Most of the other campaigns obviously aren’t working and there does need to be specific ads for these women.

Wheres the one with the guilt trip about children losing their father?

Oh wait.