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Smear tests: GP waiting times putting women off cervical screening - BBC
Jan 25, 2023 53 secs
Elena Coley Perez is 26 and due to have her first cervical screening - or smear test - that examines the opening to your womb from your vagina.

Elena has told the BBC she was already worried about having a smear test, and the difficulty she experienced in booking one put her off even more.

Administered by a nurse or GP, the test involves taking a small sample of cells from the cervix to check for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.

The BBC put the difficulties these women had faced to the Department of Health and Social Care, which said it was "taking action" to improve the situation for those who needed smear tests.

Its chief executive, Samantha Dixon, has told the BBC: "If vital appointments like cervical screening become harder to access there is the very real potential that women could give up or be put off attending.

"Screening can already be difficult to attend, for example due to past trauma or fears, and we should be making it easier to access not adding new challenges.

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