Around one in three people in East Sussex have missed their potentially life-saving cervical screen, figures show.

While more than 100,000 people in East Sussex have had a cervical screen during the last five years, nearly a third of those eligible for a smear test have not taken up their appointment.

To mark Cervical Cancer Awareness Week (19-24 June), the East Sussex Public Health team supported the Let’s Talk Screening campaign from Jo’s Trust, the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity.

This year the awareness week highlighted the importance of the screening programme and encouraged more open discussion about people’s cervical screening experiences with the aim of increasing the uptake of people attending their appointments.

What to expect during your appointment

Screening helps prevent cervical cancer by checking for a virus called high-risk HPV which causes nearly all cervical cancers.

Women aged between 25 and 49 are invited for a cervical screening test every three years and those aged 50 to 64 are invited every five years.

A cervical screen appointment lasts around 20 minutes, with the test itself taking on average only around one to two minutes to complete.

Information about attending a smear test, including what to expect and tips to make a screening appointment easier, is available on our Your East Sussex website.

More information about cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening is available from Jo’s Trust at www.jostrust.org.uk or by calling 0808 802 8000.