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Young Women Admit to Lack of Knowledge About the Cause of Cervical Cancer

Posted 27.01.2010

 

Fight Cervical Cancer in Style campaign reaches a crescendo with a live event during European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to educate girls and women about the disease

Over a third (35%) of young women admit that they still don’t know the cause of cervical cancer according to results from a recent GlaxoSmithKline survey of almost 400 16–35 year old women in the UK. [1]


Robert Music, Director of Jo’s Trust, the UK charity dedicated to cervical cancer, said, “This survey highlights that there is still work to do to increase the level of public understanding about the cause of cervical cancer, even despite the amount of media attention that the disease has attracted since the tragic death of Jade Goody last year.  This knowledge gap could leave girls and women at risk of the disease if they fail to take preventative action as a result. Most cases of cervical cancer are actually caused by a virus, called HPV, which is passed on through sexual contact.  The disease may not have any symptoms until it is quite advanced, so girls and women should be aware of the steps they could take to reduce their risk of cervical cancer, including screening, vaccination and living a healthy lifestyle.”


Currently, eight women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and nearly three women die of the disease every day in the UK. It’s the most common cancer in women aged 20-29 and the second most common cancer in women under 35 years old. [2] However, less than one in four (21%) of 16-35 year olds surveyed strongly agreed that they were at risk of the disease. [1]

  
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by a common virus called HPV (human papillomavirus). [3] The virus can be passed on through sexual contact, therefore girls and women are at risk as soon as they start having intimate relationships. The virus is usually cleared naturally but sometimes it persists and could lead to cervical cancer. [4]When prompted, 62% of women surveyed believed that females with a family history of the disease would be most at risk of cervical cancer. [1] However, when asked an open question about the causes of cervical cancer, just 8% stated that they believed it to be genetic, demonstrating an inconsistent understanding of the disease. [1]


The Fight Cervical Cancer in Style campaign, developed by GSK in association with Jo’s Trust, launched in December 2009 with the aim of educating girls and women about the disease so they can better understand their risk and how to reduce it. The website www.showyourstyle.co.uk has now received over 12,000 pledges of support. The campaign reaches a crescendo with a live event in London this evening during European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (24-30 January 2010).   [5][6][7][8][9]


To find more about cervical cancer and how to reduce their risk, girls and women can visit the campaign website www.showyourstyle.co.uk, or speak to their GP or nurse.  They can also show their support for the Fight Cervical Cancer in Style campaign by visiting the website www.ShowYourStyle.co.uk, or Texting STYLE to 83118.**

References:

  1. Millward Brown Healthcare, November 2009. Data on file.
  2. Thompson. G, House of Commons library. Cervical cancer statistics updated 11th November 2008. Accessed on October 28th 2009
  3. Walboomers. JM, et al. Human papillomavirus is a necessary cause of invasive cervical cancer worldwide. Journal of Pathology 1999; 189: 12-19
  4. Moscicki. AB, et al. The natural history of human papillomavirus infection as measured by repeated DNA testing in adolescent and young women. J Pediatr 1998;132: 277-284
  5. Adapted from Department of Health. HPV vaccine – press release. Department of Health website. Accessed on October 28th 2009.
  6. Bosch. FX, et al. The causal relation between human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. Journal of Clinical Pathology 2002; 55:244-265
  7. Adapted from Cancer Research UK. Cervical screening in the UK. Cancer Research UK website. Accessed on October 28th 2009.
  8. Adapted from Jo’s Trust. Screening. Jo’s Trust website. Accessed on December 14th 2009.
  9. Adapted from Department of Health. About the HPV vaccine. Department of Health website. Accessed on October 28th 2009.

H.B.: Last updated 27 January 2010: CCD/PRL/10/45098/1

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