Streaming Well, Jo’s Trust call for women to be more aware of cervical cancer

Hannah Blake

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Approximately 79% of women said they would see a doctor for a cold that lasted over 3 weeks, compared to only 50% if they bled outside a period. This worrying statistic comes from a recent study by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, as part of cervical cancer prevention week, which runs from the 20th to 26th January.

Additionally, in another survey, 70% of women who had experienced symptoms prior to diagnosis were not aware their symptoms were related to cervical cancer.

In the UK alone, cervical cancer kills 1000 women every year and is the most common cancer found in women under 35.

In order to increase the survival rates of cervical cancer patients through early diagnosis, Jo’s Trust has teamed up with digital health publisher Streaming Well to create online videos which educate women on the primary symptoms of cervical cancer.

“Every day in the UK nine women are diagnosed and nearly three women die from the disease. Early detection is therefore key to improving survival rates and quality of life. It’s imperative that women are made fully aware of all the symptoms of the disease as well as feel confident enough to visit the doctor if they notice anything unusual going on with their body – whether this is a noticeable change in vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding or pain during intercourse, they should not be embarrassed or suffer in silence.”

Robert Music, director of Jo’s Trust.

Based on the findings of this study, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has identified an urgent need to spread awareness of cervical cancer symptoms. In partnership with Streaming Well they are hoping that these videos will inspire women to be quicker off the mark to visit their doctors with any worrying signs.