A leading charity is calling for women to be aware of the signs of cervical cancer as new figures out today show that women are more likely to take action for a persistent cold than if they were to experience abnormal bleeding - a key symptom of the disease.
Health on Female First
In the survey commissioned by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, 79% of women said they would see a doctor for a cold that lasted more than 3 weeks, compared to only 50% if they bled outside of a period.
Robert Music, Director, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “Whilst early stage cervical cancer is often symptomless, we have found through women we have spoken to who experienced symptoms and went on to be diagnosed with the disease, many either delayed or ignored the warning signs, only seeking medical advice months and in some cases over a year after first seeing the signs. A delayed diagnosis could result in a more advanced stage of cancer which in turn may lead to more invasive treatments, a poorer quality of life and ultimately a lower chance of survival.
“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.”
The YouGov survey was commissioned following a study by the charity which showed a lack of symptoms awareness in women who went on to develop cervical cancer.
The study found that of the women who had experienced symptoms prior to a diagnosis of cervical cancer, almost 70% said they were not aware that their symptoms were related to the disease. Furthermore, of those that had more invasive cervical cancer (stage 2b, 3 and 4a), 87.9% experienced abnormal bleeding (in between periods, during/after sex) and 57.6% had unusual vaginal discharge.
Robert continues: “Symptoms for cervical cancer like abnormal bleeding and pain during sex can be quite common so it’s understandable that women may not take urgent action. However it is worrying to see that many, including the highest risk age group, are prepared to put up with these conditions dismissing them as normal and just part and parcel of being a woman. The results also show that women aged 18-24 are also dismissing symptoms as normal; for example 39% who had experienced bleeding during or after sex said they did not go to a medical professional straight away as they thought it was normal. Whilst cervical cancer is extremely rare with girls under 25 they too should feel confident enough to visit the doctor if there is anything unusual or painful for their body.”
With early detection being key to improving survival rates, the survey revealed that busy mums were also a cause for concern as 63% of those with 3+ children in their household admitted that if they thought something was wrong with their body they would prefer to put off a visit to the doctor to see if it got any better or worse.
The YouGov statistics also showed a lack of awareness when it came to identifying the signs of cervical cancer. Over half did not pin point pain or discomfort during sex and 52% failed to identify bleeding during or after sex as warning signs to look out for. Furthermore there is obvious confusion over symptoms for cervical cancer against other conditions with 31% highlighting persistent bloating as a sign of cervical cancer.
Robert said: “We are very concerned about awareness levels of this disease and that’s why, through Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, we are calling for all women to take note of the disease’s symptoms, as well as seek medical advice if they experience any. Similarly we are also asking medical professionals to make their patients aware through face to face contact and by displaying our awareness materials.”
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