17 November is Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, to mark the day the World Health Organisation launched a global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer in 2020. 

This year we are inviting you to get involved to help the South West deliver on its commitment to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.  

How you can support is simple… 

Are you a woman or someone with a cervix aged 25 to 64?

If you are a woman or someone with a cervix aged 25 to 64, make sure you are up to date with your cervical screening. Cervical screening saves thousands of lives each year by checking for warning signs of cancer and helping people catch cancer early.  

If you’re worried about attending your cervical screening, you’re not alone. It may feel a little bit awkward, but to make you more comfortable you can ask for a friend to come with you for support, you can request a female doctor or nurse, and you can ask to talk through the process before it’s carried out. Our health professionals carry out screening tests every day and are trained to make you feel comfortable.  

Whether you were invited a week, a month, or a year ago, you can still book your screening appointment – and you should still attend even if you have had you HPV vaccination. Do your part to eliminate cervical cancer by booking your screening with your GP today – it could save your life. 

Are you a parent of a secondary school student?

If you are the parent or guardian of a secondary school aged student, then you might be aware of the HPV vaccination programme. The HPV vaccine is offered to boys and girls from year 8 in school (12 to 13 years old) to help protect them from high-risk HPV-related cancers.  

HPV is linked to over 90% of all cervical cancers in England and the HPV vaccine can also protect men and women against other cancers such as head and neck and penile cancers.  

Your child may be offered their HPV vaccination at school, so be sure to talk to them about this to ensure they are aware of what it is for, and so they can let you know if you need to sign a consent form. If your child missed their HPV vaccination opportunity at school, you can also book an appointment by contacting your GP. 

Have you left school, but haven’t received your HPV vaccination?

If you missed the vaccine when offered it at school, you can still get vaccinated against HPV. Girls under the age of 25, and boys who were born after 1 September 2006 can get the HPV vaccine through their GP. Contact your GP to book an appointment, or to check if you have already received your HPV vaccination.   

I don’t fit into any of these categories, so how can I help?

Cervical cancer leads to approximately 685 deaths a year in England. Whether you are eligible for a HPV vaccination or cervical screening or not, we can all do our bit to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination and screening, and the real opportunity we have to eliminate cervical cancer.  

If you have a friend or loved one who is eligible for HPV vaccination or cervical screening, be sure to talk to them about the benefits of taking up these opportunities. Cervical screening saves approximately 5,000 lives a year in the UK, and so far, there has been an 84% reduction in cervical cancers in women vaccinated against HPV at aged 12 to 13 years old, when compared to previous generations. 

For more information about how the NHS is working to eliminate cervical cancer in the South West visit the NHS England South West website.