Campaign to increase cervical cancer screening rates in the LGBT+ community launches in Wakefield

In England, the NHS cervical screening programme is available to people between the ages of 25 and 64 who have a cervix.

It is advised to attend a routine smear test every few years, however screening rates among the LGBTIQ+ community continue to remain much lower than those of cisgender women in the UK.

Remove the Doubt, a dedicated cervical screening awareness campaign created by and for LGBTQIA+ people, has been launched to help address the inequalities and misinformation around cervical screening in Wakefield and across West Yorkshire.

Campaigners from Live Through This, the UK’s only dedicated cancer charity for LGBTQIA+ people, who are behind the Remove the Doubt campaign, want LGBTQIA+ people who have a cervix to know that they have a right to be screened.

This may include women, trans men, non-binary people assigned female at birth, and some intersex people. If someone does not have a cervix (for example, because they have had a total hysterectomy), they will not need cervical screening.

Stewart O’Callaghan, CEO and Founder of Live Through This, said: “Remove the Doubt aims to empower LGBTQIA+ people and by taking this message out into the community we hope to educate, inform and free them of the worries they are feeling towards cervical screening.

"We shouldn’t be living in a world whereby someone’s gender or how they identify can negatively impact their health but sadly that is the case for so many people.”

Cervical screening checks the vagina for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). If the test shows that you do have high-risk HPV, the lab will also check to see if you have any abnormal cell changes on your cervix. It is not a test for cancer.

Lower cervical screening attendance within the LGBTQIA+ community is said to be down to a multitude of factors, including questions around eligibility and concerns about inclusive treatment.

Hayley Snowden, health inequalities programme manager for the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance, said: “It’s great to be working alongside members of the LGBTQIA+ community on Remove the Doubt and we’d like to say a huge thank you to all those featured for helping us to promote positive messages around cervical screening.

“There’s no doubt that cancer screening saves lives but sadly, research shows that trans men don’t know they are eligible for cervical screening if they still have a cervix. Fear that they will have a bad experience, or that healthcare staff attitudes will be inappropriate can often prevent them from attending.

"As a Cancer Alliance, we want to shine a light on this important area of prevention – raise awareness around eligibility and educate our healthcare professional colleagues about the issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community and how they can help and support.”

To read more about Remove The Doubt, where you will find additional information about what a cervical screening involves, what happens at an appointment, and hints and tips for attending an appointment, visit: https://livethroughthis.co.uk/removethedoubt/