Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from 19th – 25th January 2026

According to the Eve Appeal, the gynaecological cancers charity, 3250 people are diagnosed each year with cervical cancer in the UK.

https://eveappeal.org.uk/information-and-advice/gynaecological-cancers/cervical-cancer/

HPV vaccination, cervical screening, and treatment for cell changes can all help prevent it, however there is a need to increase awareness and uptake as nearly one in three women and people with a cervix don’t attend cervical screening.

Cervical screening is a free health test available on the NHS as part of the national cervical screening programme. Cervical screenings are estimated to save 5000 lives a year in the UK. It helps prevent cervical cancer by checking for a virus called high-risk HPV and cervical cell changes.

If you are invited for cervical screening while pregnant, tell your healthcare professional that you are pregnant. You should wait until three months after your pregnancy ends before having a cervical screening test.

Tips for cervical screening

Further information is available from the Eve Appeal of several things that you can do to help make yourself more comfortable during cervical screening.

https://eveappeal.org.uk/tips-for-cervical-screening/

https://eveappeal.org.uk/campaigns/cervical-cancer-prevention-week/

HPV vaccinations

Girls and boys aged 12 to 13 years (born after 1 September 2006) are offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as part of the NHS vaccination programme.

HPV vaccine overview – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

For further information or support:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/further-help-and-support

For support and information about smear tests who live in Brighton and Hove

https://brightonsexualhealth.com/advice/cervical-cytology-smear-testing/

For support and information about smear tests who live in West Sussex

https://www.westsussexwellbeing.org.uk/topics/more-topics/cancer-screening

You can always contact Parentline Text 07507 331296 if you live in Brighton and Hove

Or if you live in West Sussex Text 07312 277163.

Sussex Community is responsible for the writing, publishing and updating of the content on this page.

ParentLine logo

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-5 years called ParentLine. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 4.30pm in Brighton & Hove and Monday to Friday between 9am to 4.30pm in West Sussex, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a health visitor within 24 hours. Outside of the service working hours, you’ll receive a message back to inform you that your text will be responded to once the line reopens.

Should you require urgent health advice in the meantime, please contact your GP, visit an NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. For emergencies, dial 999 or visit A&E.

This page was last reviewed on 31-12-2025

This page will be next reviewed on 31-12-2028