Don't put off cervical screening, mum-of-two warns

A mother-of-two from Kent who discovered she had cancer after avoiding cervical screening for nearly 20 years has urged those who are eligible to take up the offer of a test.

Penny declined to have a smear test for almost two decades because she said she felt "uncomfortable" with the idea of the procedure.

The 50-year-old was convinced to attend a screening in summer 2023 after it emerged during a visit to her GP that she had not been tested for so long.

That screening led to her being diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer, for which she has undergone a series of treatments which Penny admits are "far worse" than having a smear test.

The NHS has pledged to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. Although it is one of the more preventable forms of the disease, it kills two women every day according to NHS statistics.

Cervical screening is key to early diagnosis, given its ability to detect the HPV virus that is found in over 99% of all cervical cancers, the NHS says.

Looking back, Penny says she believes she had symptoms but "put them down to menopause".

Encouraging others to undergo the procedure, she said: "It wasn't bad at all - no pain or discomfort."

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