By Dr Mairead O’Connor, Research Officer, National Screening Service
We’ve published the findings of new research which shows that 9 in 10 women said they are likely to attend their next cervical screening appointment. Over 1,000 women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 65 took part in the online survey aimed at understanding women’s knowledge and awareness of cervical screening and cervical cancer.
Knowledge about cervical screening
Overall, there were good levels of knowledge among survey participants about why cervical screening is important.
- Almost 8 in 10 (79%) agreed it is important so abnormal cells can be found early.
- Over 7 in 10 (76%) agreed that cervical cancer is more treatable if found early.
- 71% agreed that it is important to prevent cervical cancer developing.
Motivators
The main motivation to choose to have cervical screening was getting peace of mind about health (49% of respondents) and being afraid of developing cervical cancer in the future (43%). Receiving an invitation to book a screening appointment was cited as a motivator by almost 4 in 10 participants (39%).
Barriers
Survey participants were asked what they thought the main barriers or challenges might be to women attending cervical screening. Almost half (48%) said a fear of finding something wrong could be a barrier. One in four (39%) said finding the screening process uncomfortable could be a barrier.
Cervical cancer knowledge
Over 4 in 10 women (42%) felt they had good knowledge about cervical cancer. Overall, there were good levels of awareness around what can be done to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer:
- Over 8 in 10 women (86%) said attending cervical screening when invited can reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer
- More than 7 in 10 said having regular check-ups
- 57% said getting the HPV vaccine
- Just over 5 in 10 women said not smoking
Symptoms
There were generally good levels of knowledge about cervical cancer symptoms. Over 6 in 10 women knew that pain during sex, bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex and bleeding after menopause were possible symptoms of cervical cancer. Over 7 in 10 women (75%) identified persistent pelvic pain as a symptom.
Almost 7 in 10 women (68%) watch out for symptoms of cervical cancer. However, over half of those surveyed (56%) did not feel confident in their ability to spot the symptoms of cervical cancer.
Knowledge about HPV
Survey participants had good levels of knowledge about HPV (the human papillomavirus). Over 7 in 10 women (72%) knew that HPV can cause cervical cancer and that a person could have HPV for many years without knowing it (71%). Two-thirds of women knew that HPV could be passed on through sexual activity. Less than a third of women (27%) knew that the body can clear HPV by itself.
Attending screening
9 in 10 women self-reported they are likely to attend their next cervical screening appointment. Almost 7 in 10 women (68%) said they go for cervical screening when invited to do so.
Conclusion
Overall, women have good levels of knowledge about cervical screening and about what can be done to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer. Empowering women to be more confident in their ability to spot cervical cancer symptoms is important. Women have positive attitudes to cervical screening and attending for screening when invited.
- The research was carried out in June 2023 by Empathy Research on behalf of the National Screening Service.
- Cervical Cancer Prevention Week takes place from 22 to 28 January 2024. This year, we’re encouraging women and people with a cervix to choose screening and to check the CervicalCheck register to find out when their next cervical screening is due, make an appointment, and update address and contact details if needed.
- HPV cervical screening can prevent and reduce the risk of cervical cancer developing. CervicalCheck is for women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 65 who have no symptoms of cervical cancer. Check, update or join the cervical screening register.
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