Trust gets onboard #SmearForSmear Campaign

This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week and women (and men) all across the country have been sharing their smeared lipstick photos on social media to raise awareness of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s #SmearForSmear campaign.

York Teaching Hospital Trust and Yorclinic have got onboard the campaign, with staff sharing their lipstick selfies on Facebook and Twitter to highlight the importance of smear tests (cervical screening).

Smear tests save over 5,000 lives a year, yet one in five women who are invited to take the test, don’t. In young women aged 25-29, this figure rises to one in three.

Dr Frances Baker, Clinical Lead for CaSH at Yorclinic in Monkgate Health Centre said: “Cervical cancer is the most common cancer found in women under 35, it’s so important for them to attend their smear test in order to detect any abnormalities early on, and to prevent the possibility of cancer developing.

“Eight women in the UK are diagnosed everyday and we are hoping that by promoting the #SmearForSmear campaign this will encourage women in North Yorkshire to attend their smear test when they receive their invitation.”

To get involved with the campaign and raise awareness of the importance of attending a cervical screening test, you can share your lipstick selfie on social media with the hashtag “SmearForSmear” and nominate your friends to do the same. You can also book your appointment to have a smear test at Yorclinic or your local GP.

30 January 2015