"A third of people across the UK are overdue their cervical cancer screening"

[PlasticAcrobat]

A third of 'people', Really? Well, that's not so bad because 50% of 'people' across the UK are men, right? And they won't get cervical cancer because they don't have a cervix.

So only a sixth of people across the UK are endangered by this low-uptake of screening? Phew. Perhaps, then, it doesn't matter so much if the guardian writes bullshit misleading copy on the subject.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/20/third-overdue-cervical-cancer-screening-uk

Well they mean women, but didn't want to say as it's... terfy? Or something.
Amazingly it took until paragraph 9 to say WOMEN.

There was a mention of girls and boys with vaccine rates in paragraph 6.

I suppose it's an improvement on 'cervix owners' (sarcasm)

My best guess is that the author felt forced to say "women" later in the article because they were citing research that used that frightful term. That's the only reason I can think of for the confusing disparity of language, which makes the article even more opaque.

Comical how the headline just gives up all together and opts for the completely unqualified "one in three". One in three entities? Mammals?

Sorry, i shouldn't have said 'mammals'. I should have said 'mammalian gland owners'. Apols.

Blimey I better check DH isn’t overdue for one

I reckon my son is overdue his, I’d better remind him

On a different tack mine is due but I think I'm going to do an at home HPV test instead. I wonder how many others are now taking that route?

@Sandy420 my seriously 70 yr old monogamous friend who’s been married since the age of 19 AND has never had an abnormal screen thought the mail in self screen was appropriate.
for many seniors the HPV screen is not appropriate.
Similar age and length of marriage to one partner and me like many won’t be bothering with an HPV screen.
I want screening for abnormal cells which is no longer available where I live.

That is all they test now, for HPV so I'm not sure how this is inappropriate

@ToClimb it's inappropriate because it does NOT actually screen for cervical cancer, abnormal precancerous CELLS which is what use to be done (although not easily at all times and some false positive results) which is most likely the type of cancer older women in monogamous relationships will have. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease so for the many (especially older) people it's not screening for the type of process that will lead to cancer.

Well of course they are as it's impossible to contact the doctors as they only take calls between 08:00 am and 08:01 am and your call is held in position 49 in the queue.

I haven't seen a doctor for years. Does the NHS still exist? Does the council exist? I'm not convinced tbh.

Yes but if they do a home screen that's all it tests for anyway, so it is appropriate.

5-11% of cervical cancers are not hpv related. how is it appropriate to do a test that will not pick up 5-11% of cancer in women? the hpv screen especially self screen is cheaper but not appropriate for those who are unlikely to be sexually active with other partners with whom they have had decades of negative tests with.

I got my letter this week. But, they are not looking at the cells unless they detect HPV. I'm not going to have mysteriously got HPV since last smear 3 years ago, so I'm thinking it's a lot to go through that process for no reason. I may not go.

The article must have been edited, since it now refers to "women and other people with cervixes" in the second sentence and there's no mention of women in paragraph 9.

I've literally just screenshotted it so I can complain. Utter idiots.

The home screening kit from Superdrug actually tests for more strains of HPV than the NHS test. Worth doing in my opinion if you’re averse to the smear test. Particularly when the NHS is chucking HPV-negative samples in the bin anyway. If the home kit tests positive then you can go for a more invasive check.

I take the test because HPV can lie dormant for years before rearing its ugly head. But yes it’s correct that non-HPV-related cancer will be missed with the current NHS method and home testing kits.

As for the Guardian, those insufferable people with penises for brains can piss right off.

That headline is definitely worth a complaint to the readers editor! That paper is such junk these days.

The article must have been edited, since it now refers to "women and other people with cervixes"

Yes, that is an edit since I read the piece. And yet still they keep the absurdly inaccurate first line!

It's also clearly not "a third of people in the UK", or even "a third of women in the UK", but something like "a third of women (or people) who are eligible for screening in the UK". Replacing "women" for "people" doesn't actually change the meaning if only women are eligible, but the writer has implied that that's not the case, referring to "other people with cervixes".

No, it's terrible! 33% of people are overdue, so if 50% need one, that's only 17% of people who both need one and are up to date.

Thank you for this. I am going to try this out.

The only non-women people who have a cervix are those with one in a jam jar. And, frankly, their cancer risk is the least of my worries.

I thought the nurse had a visual check too during a smear?

@OuterSpaceCadet certainly not if doing a home mail in type screening tool.