Targeted campaign launched as figures show BME women fail to see the relevance of cervical screening

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK’s only charity dedicated to those affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities, and the NHS National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) has launched an advert to run in GP waiting rooms to target Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities following a survey by the charity highlighting a worrying lack of awareness around cervical cancer prevention amongst BME women.

Launching during Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Week (EMCAW), the advert is produced in partnership with NCAT’s ‘Cancer does not discriminate campaign’, which aims to increase cancer screening uptake and raise awareness of the early signs of cancer amongst people from black and minority ethnic communities. Carrying the message ‘cervical screening saves lives’ it will run in 30 surgeries for five months in areas with a higher BME population. This includes surgeries in London, Leicester, Leeds and Nottingham.

Research commissioned by the charity highlighted a level of misunderstanding from BME women around the subject of cervical cancer and the importance of cervical screening (smear) with only 65% of BME women in the survey believing the life saving test is a necessary one compared to 73% of white women. Similarly of those invited for screening, four times as many BME women as white women said ‘it did not seem relevant to me’. Results also showed a desire for more information with almost half of BME women in the survey (43%) calling for a more detailed explanation of the risks of not being screened.

Paula Lloyd Knight, Associate Director Patient Experience, NCAT said: Cancer affects all communities and cervical cancer is one that can be prevented. With strong evidence suggesting that BME women are less likely to take up their screening invitation and consequently present with symptoms when the disease is at a later stage we are delighted to be partnering with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to specifically reach those whose test has been missed or is overdue.”