Quarter of women yet to get cervical screening

1m women screened at least once since programme’s 2008 start

Almost a quarter of women in Ireland who are eligible for free cervical cancer screening have yet to avail of the service, according to the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA).

CervicalCheck, the national cervical screening programme, has provided more than 2m free smear tests since the programme was launched in 2008 — nearly 1m women have been screened at least once.

The figures have been released as part of IFPA’s Pearl of Wisdom campaign, urging women to “share the wisdom” of cervical checks with friends, relatives, and colleagues.

IFPA medical director Caitriona Henchion said the association is urging women to “get the message out there”.

“Cervical cancer is one of the main cancers affecting women in Ireland, with about 300 diagnoses each year,” said Dr Henchion.

“But the good news is that it can be prevented through regular screening. A smear test picks up any changes to a woman’s cervix and ensures early treatment.

“It only takes a few minutes and it’s completely free. 76% of eligible women have so far availed of screening with CervicalCheck. We want to increase this even further.”

About 90 women in Ireland die from cervical cancer every year. High-quality screening programmes have proven effective in reducing the mortality rate of the disease by as much as 80%.

Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world.

Approximately 50% to 80% of sexually active women contract some form of HPV at least once in their life.

However, the HPV vaccine is almost 100% effective in preventing certain types of the virus that cause 70% of all cervical cancer cases.

Through CervicalCheck, all women between the ages of 25 and 60 can avail of free smear tests from one of more than 4,500 registered practitioners.

The procedure involves taking a cell sample from the woman’s cervix which is then tested. Individuals receive the results in the post a few weeks later.

The director-general of the European Cervical Cancer Association, Philip Davies, said Ireland had “one of the best cervical screening programmes in the world”.

“Almost 30,000 women in Europe die from cervical cancer every year because they don’t have access to high-quality screening programmes. I urge those women in Ireland aged 25 to 60 who have not yet availed of their free smear tests to do so.”

Cork University Hospital (CUH) has also launched an app to increase understanding of breast cancer checks, diagnosis, and treatments.

The app, FYI: Breast Cancer, answers the top 50 most searched for questions about breast cancer.

The app was developed after CUH research showed health literacy rates to be low in Ireland. The study found over 83% of women overestimate their risk of developing breast cancer.

Meanwhile, a British and Irish life, pensions, and investment company has revealed cancer accounts for 81% of their specified serious illness claims in Ireland.

The purpose of the cover is to provide a lump sum if diagnosed with an illness specified in the policy — Royal London pays an average of €155,000 per claim.

They also say the average age for a claim is 41 — 40 for men and 42 for women.