19th to 25th January 2014
Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is a European wide initiative lead by European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA).
The weeks focus is on all things to do with cervical cancer including information about symptoms and causes of the disease, ways to prevent it and support us.
Just under 3,000 women a year are diagnosed with Cervical Cancer yet there are steps women can take to prevent it from affecting them. Despite this in the UK 20% of women do not take up their invitation for cervical screening. Raising public awareness of cervical cancer prevention is more necessary than ever.
This year Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust will be launching a new campaign called "Put Yourself In The Picture" and the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department will once again be supporting the Charity and their Cervical Cancer Prevention Week Campaign.
The CWU's Health and Safety Department wants all Branches and Health & Safety Reps to get involved and help us raise awareness of the issues involved.
Branches and Reps can run campaigns and activities locally. Raising awareness in your Branch area is often one of the best and most effective ways of reaching a high number of members.
Dave Joyce, CWU's National Health, Safety & Environment Officer, in his letter to all the union's branches; gives examples of how you could reach and raise awareness amongst members in your local branch area:
- Display Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust Posters and Leaflets in Offices, Depots.
- Distribute leaflets in Offices and Depots.
- Ask local management to allow Posters to be put up e.g. in Women's Toilets during the week.
- Run a stand or tables with leaflets at your branch area Offices, Depots etc.
- Organise an event with Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust - invite a speaker from the Charity.
- Tell the local media.
- Start an online conversation - you could Tweet, Facebook, Google + or blog about CCPW!
LTB036/14 continues:
Did you know?
1. Every day in the UK 9 women are diagnosed and nearly 3 women die of cervical cancer.
2. Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease.
3. In the UK, cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35.
4. The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are:
- Bleeding between periods, after sexual intercourse.
- Post menopausal bleeding, if you are not on HRT or have stopped it for six weeks.
- Smelly discharge from the vagina.
- Discomfort during sexual intercourse.
5. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by a common virus called Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
6. You can catch the virus, called HPV as soon as you start having intimate relationships.
7. Cervical screening and HPV vaccination are the best ways to reduce your risk of getting cervical cancer.
8. HPV vaccination protects against two types of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers.
9. Screening in England and Northern Ireland starts at 25 and ends at 64, in Wales it is 20 to 64 and Scotland 20 to 60*.
10. Smoking increases your risk of getting cervical cancer.
You can download the LTB in full which includes further information in the form of attachements: here
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust (Jo’s Trust) is the only UK charity dedicated to women and their families affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities. Their aim is to offer information, support and friendship to women of all ages, to help them to understand the importance of cervical screening, and to provide our own personal brand of support if their screening shows up abnormalities or if they are diagnosed with cancer.
To that end one of the things that the campaigning charity is doing during the week of the 19th January, is to hold an event to raise awareness of cervical cancer and prevention of the disease among within Manchester’s black, faith and minority ethnic groups (BME) community.
According to the Jo’s Trust website:
“Every year in the UK over 3000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. However, it is a largely preventable disease thanks to cervical screening and HPV vaccination. Recent research has shown that awareness of cervical cancer and uptake of cervical screening are considerably lower in BME women when compared to the
The Manchester event is being jointly organised by the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, which oversees screening in England, and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the only UK charity dedicated to women and their families affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities.
A similar event was run in January 2012 which resulted in positive feedback from BME groups that attended.
The CWU fully supports Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and in LTB036/12 Dave Joyce, the union’s Health & Safety Officer reported on the work and services that the trust offers.
One key area is that of advice from experts in cervical cancer:
With Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust 'Ask The Expert Service', you can put your questions to a Panel of qualified experts who have all kindly volunteered their time and expertise to help the Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust community. Ask The Expert allows you to ask specific questions related to all aspects of cervical cancer. Once you have submitted your question online, it will be passed on to the volunteer medical panellists who have the expertise to answer your question. The service is completely confidential.
The Website also has a 'frequently asked questions' list to help and this could answer your query immediately rather than having to wait for a response from the panel. It could put your mind at rest.
Since its launch the 'Ask The Expert Service' has supported several thousand women from all over the world. Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust encourages you to seek appropriate professional medical advice or care for any situation or problem that you may have.
The 'Ask The Expert Service' form is on their website here
Documentation on Cervical Cancer can be downloaded from the E-Library Database
Source: CWU / Jo's Cancer Trust / European Cervical cancer Association / Unionsafety
Further information: Jo's Cancer Trust website
