The C word.

There is no denying the sense of dread that it brings when those 6 letters are uttered.

Whilst science continues to work hard to try and reduce the amount of deaths that occur as a result of a cancer diagnosis, there are also a lot of things that as women, we can do to help ourselves. This month is #CervicalCancerAwareness month, its main purpose being to highlight awareness, prevention and early detection, and in turn, reduce the number of women lost to this awful diagnosis.

As one of the most treatable cancer’s in the UK and with 99.8% of cervical cancer cases being preventable, the big question is – what can you do to not only raise awareness, but also protect yourself?

So – the science….

Boys, you don’t need to worry about this one!

The cervix lies between the uterus and vagina and has several important functions ranging from producing mucous to help sperm travel, to opening up during labour to allow a baby passage through the birth canal.

Although its only small at around an inch, the cervix is vital for helping to protect a growing foetus from bacteria and preventing infection being introduced into the vagina.

Cervical cancer is a cancer that grows on the surface of the cervix and although slow growing and very treatable, without regular checks it still kills over 850 women in the UK a year.

The process begins with changes in the cells on the cervix which change them from normal to pre-cancerous.

Although there are other causes, most cervical cancers are caused by the HPV infection and unfortunately, that is most commonly introduced during sexual contact. It’s a shame but what can you do?

There are ways of protecting yourself from catching the virus, but unfortunately once you have it, there is currently no cure other than letting your body do its thing to dispose of it. So, peel your ears back folks and lets go through how you can not only help look after yourselves, but also the women and girls that you love.

Lets start with the obvious –

• Keep It Wrapped!

Obviously this one depends on the type of relationship you have, but the safest way to have a bit of sexy fun is with condoms on. This doesn’t just help to protect against HPV but a myriad of other icky things that nobody really wants to have to think about!

For those wondering – yes, we do sell condoms and yes, they come in a bulk box of 144 starting at only £12.60 incl VAT.

My friends, that is a lot of fun to be had!

• HPV Vaccination

For around the last 10 or so years, there has been a vaccination offered to children around the ages of 12-13 which helps to prevent HPV. For those who may have missed it at school, the vaccine is also available for people at a high risk of HPV, (sex workers etc), men under the age of 45 who have sexual contact with other men, and those with a cervix who are under the age of 25.

Its massively important at this point that we mention that this DOESN’T prevent all types of cervical cancer. Whilst it offers a degree of protection, its vital that you still have regular checks.

• Sorry Ladies – The Smear is Essential

As the ladies of Normedica will tell you, being a woman is very undignified a lot of the time. From periods to giving birth with our legs akimbo to smear tests, who would honestly choose to be female!

We cannot stress enough how important this one is though. Although cervical cancer is very slow-growing, the symptoms do not begin to show until the cancer is fairly advanced, and at that point, the risk of it spreading is much higher.

From the age of 25, it is recommended that you go every three years for screening. Although a letter is automatically generated around 6 months before your 25th birthday, it is a voluntary test.

Yes, its not dignified but it can save your life. If changes are picked up, it allows the Doctors to test the cells and determine whether treatment is required.

The thing to remember with this is that a smear is not about detecting cancer. Its about preventing it.

We will talk about what goes into this process a little more through the week, but its also important to remember that you don’t need to be sexually active for cervical cancer to develop.

Regardless of what you get up to beneath the covers, the risk is always there.

Whether we like it or not, cervical cancer is still a killer and it doesn’t need to be. We all have a responsibility to the people we love to get ourselves checked regularly and to encourage them to get checked as well.

Keep an eye out on the health hub for more on this through the week and if your smear is overdue, pick up the phone today.

It could save your life!