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The road to cervical cancer eradication

The World Health Organization now has a plan to eradicate cervical cancer, but without better support and removal of existing barriers for women with disabilities and people with a cervix, this will not be possible. Is possible.

In the UK, HPV vaccines are over 99% effective in preventing precancerous cells caused by HPV, which are associated with 70% of cervical cancers. It is also believed that 70% of deaths from cervical cancer in the UK could be prevented by cervical cancer screening, which could actually occur if everyone could book regular cervical cancer screening appointments. 83% of all deaths could be avoided.

In 2019, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust conducted a research project called “We’re Made to Feel Invisible.” In this study, when women with physical disabilities were interviewed about barriers to cervical screening, 88% of women in this group found it difficult to access or participate in cervical screening. understood. Worryingly, 49% chose not to participate based on previous bad experiences.

“Joe’s vision is a world without cervical cancer, but in the meantime, we hope that anyone with a cervix who needs help and support, whether due to an HPV diagnosis, cellular changes, or cervical cancer, will be able to We want people to come to us looking for quality, and we provide information and support,” explains Samantha Dixon, the charity’s chief executive officer. . “I think the results of that report are quite shocking. This was done before COVID, and we’d like to take that work forward in 2023 to see what progress has been made.” .”

tool

The tools needed for early detection and prevention are readily available in the UK, but women with disabilities and people with cervix are often left out of the conversation.

“We know the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer screening are the best tools to prevent cervical cancer, but we need to ensure that all women have equal access,” emphasizes Samantha. To do.

“In that same report, there was one woman who needed a hoist and was told it would take too long to make a home visit,” adds Samantha. “She felt let down and forgotten. That’s a common theme among the women we talk to. Because of that, they are really frustrated and angry.

Recently, the charity has been working in Scotland specifically for people with learning disabilities. Only 30% of women in this group have access to cervical screening.

“We knew there were certain issues out there, so we partnered with Enable Scotland and held a series of focus groups with women and their caregivers to get access to cervical screening. I asked him to tell me what he felt.” Sharing Samantha. “They were telling us things like surgery saying they didn’t need to go because they were presumed to be sexually inactive. We worked with them to walk them through the process. We have co-produced films which are now also available in British Sign Language.

“We are happy with the work we do, but we know we need to develop it further and think about how we can better support women with a range of disabilities across the UK.”

Dispel taboos about who needs cervical screening, remind general practitioners of their obligations under the Equality Act to provide access and coordination, women with disabilities and people with cervical faces More research and education on barriers to disease are all key to improving acceptance and increasing prevention. .

prevention

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, January 23-29, 2023, provides an opportunity to highlight the need for change.

“January’s focus will be on how we theoretically have the tools to dramatically reduce cervical cancer in the future, through HPV vaccines, screening, and effective treatments for cellular alterations, and how these three It’s about how the World Health Organization has developed an elimination strategy using two tools: a strategy for cervical cancer,” Samantha emphasizes. “However, we know that there are certain groups that struggle to participate in cervical cancer screening and how we can identify those groups and listen to their barriers. I would like to focus more on

“For us, Awareness Week is not just about reminding people that they need to go to screenings, it is about ensuring that everyone in a decision-making role has equitable access to everyone who needs to come to screenings. It’s about making sure you really think about giving.”

This week, Jo’s Trust also launches a study in which the charity spoke with nearly 1,200 medical professionals and others in the cervical screening and vaccination space.

‘What are the current practical barriers and what are the barriers to achieving true prevention in the UK?’ asked Samantha. “Then it would be great to lobby politicians and other decision makers and have a plan for elimination, but here are the practical things you need to do to make it happen.”

With the right education, training and awareness, cervical cancer deaths can be completely prevented, but before that happens, women with disabilities and people with cervix need to be heard.

Find out how to participate in Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Joe’s Trust (www.jostrust.org.uk).

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http://enablemagazine.co.uk/the-path-to-eliminating-cervical-cancer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-path-to-eliminating-cervical-cancer The road to cervical cancer eradication

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