Blackpool Victoria Hospital backs national cervical cancer campaign

The ‘smear for smear’ campaign sees people across the UK wiping brightly-coloured lipstick across their faces and sharing the results on social media to remind people of the importance of smear testing.

The campaign comes as part of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which runs until Monday.

A Blackpool Victoria Hospital spokesman posted: “Every year around five million women are invited to attend their smear test. Smear tests are crucial to the eradication of cervical cancer as they can detect abnormal cells on the cervix before they develop into cancer.”

Despite this, one in three 25 to 29-year-olds invited to cervical screenings do not take up the offer, with the number of people taking smear tests falling every year.

The spokesman added: “On the Fylde coast the screening uptake for 25 to 64-year-olds was at 69.5 per cent in 2014.

“For 25 to 64-year-olds on the Fylde coast the screening uptake was at 69.7 per cent in 2013, but for 25 to 29-year-olds the screening uptake dropped to 65.9 per cent in 2014.”

Public health minister Jane Ellison said: “Cervical cancer can be prevented.

“I encourage all eligible women to make that important choice and have their smear test when invited.”