Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is there to ensure that women never feel alone at any stage of their journey by providing easily accessed information and support 24 hours a day.
Our vision is a future where fewer women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, to see more women survive if diagnosed and ensure every person affected by cervical abnormalities and cervical cancer gets the best treatment, care, information and support.
Every year in the UK, over 2,800 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and nearly 1,000 women will die from the disease. After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women aged 35 and under
Cervical cancer is not thought to be hereditary. Cervical cancer, in 99.7% of cases, is caused by persistent infection with a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a very common virus transmitted through skin to skin contact in the genital area. Up to 80% of people of reproductive age will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives. However, for the majority of women this will not result in cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is rare while HPV infection is common
Detection of early changes in the cervix by regular screening is, to date, the most effective method of preventing a cancer from developing. However, with increased understanding of HPV and new technologies, this may change in the future.
Over 4 million women in the UK are invited every year to attend for a smear test. Over 90% receive a normal smear result. However, there is a worrying trend in the UK; fewer women are attending for regular screening following their invitation. In 2007-8 1 million women (20% of those invited) did not attend screening, whilst for those aged 25 to 29 the figure was even more worrying with only 66.2% attending.
The impact of cervical cancer on a woman's life and that of her family, as with other cancers, cannot be overstated but an abnormal screening result also causes misery, distress and anxiety to thousands of women every year.
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