Every
year in the UK, around 3,000 people will be diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women aged 35 and under.
Cervical
screening is a free health test that helps prevent cervical cancer. It checks
for cell changes on the cervix caused by high-risk human
papillomavirus (HPV). It is not a test for cancer. You might hear cervical
screening being called a smear test. This is just a different name for the same
test.
But we have heard lots of
people with a cervix saying that their impairment has created barriers to
accessing smears and other health checks and so today we are talking about how people with different impairments have been excluded or felt that barriers have been placed in their way of getting a smear.
Physical Impairments
Some people say that their
local clinic is not accessible to them, this could be because they are
wheelchair users and the clinic has steps or because they have an impairment
like Cerebral Palsy (CP) and they feel that the person doing the smear is not
educated about issues that might affect them, such as muscle
spasms and the ability to get into different positions.
Mental Health challenges
This week we heard from our
guest poster about how mental health challenges can become a barrier to
accessing healthcare and that people living with mental illness are
particularly vulnerable to
experiencing inequalities including the lack of support to
access health and preventative care.
Invisible impairments
People with invisible
impairments can also face barriers in getting their smears, this could be due
to fatigue, chronic pain or difficulties in getting to the clinic or GP
surgery.
Learning difficulties
Some carers, guardians,
doctors or nurses don't think women with a learning disability need a smear
test and sometimes carers and guardians do not know the person is having sex
and may not help women with learning disabilities to get a test. It is
important that women with a learning disability are given the option to go to a
smear test. Jo’s Trust have produced some fantastic resources made by women
with learning difficulties for women with learning difficulties.
Jo's Trust
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is
the only UK charity dedicated to people affected by cervical cancer and
cervical abnormalities and know that some disabled people are facing barriers to accessing smear tests, they are currently researching the issue and trying
to gauge what the barriers are and what needs to be done to overcome them.
On the Jo's Trust blog they talked to a woman with CP who said:
“With cerebral palsy, I
require much more time for my appointment, significant assistance onto the
examination bed (which in itself can be very dangerous without the option of a
hoist), a warm environment for my muscles to relax and very patient nurses as
CP does not allow my body into the standard position for this exam, so the
nurses need to understand, not rush me and also work with my stiff body or
unexpected spasms and still get a good sample.”
Jo’s
Trust have this advice for disabled people who are struggling to access a smear
test:
- Call our helpline and one of our team can talk you through your options
on 0808 802 8000
- Contact your GP to discuss your needs and ask where you can access
a test, this might include a home visit from a district nurse, at a local
hospital or a different GP surgery
- You can also contact your CCG to ask about options in your area
- Ask for a double appointment so you don’t feel rushed and have time
to talk through your needs
- Write to your MP encouraging them to take action on your behalf and
that of other women living with a physical disability in their area
Have you ever found there are
barriers in the way of you getting access to a cervical screening/smear? What
happened? How did you overcome them? Or have they been too difficult to
overcome? We would love to hear about your experience as would Jo’s Trust who
are doing research into this.
