WOMEN should not ignore invitations to NHS cervical cancer screenings, doctors have said.

Swindon has the third lowest cervical cancer test rates in the south west – with 72 per cent of eligible women taking up screening invitations in 2017, compared to a regional average of 75 per cent.

It has been suggested that the town’s higher poverty rate compared to other council areas could be behind the low screening rate.

However, while the percentage of Swindon women being screened has fallen since 2010 – according to Public Health England data – the overall number has increased, with almost 42,500 going for cervical cancer screening tests.

Women aged 25 to 49 registered with a GP are invited for a smear test every three years. Those aged 50 to 64 get invitations every five years.

At a free public talk this week, Great Western Hospital cancer specialists urged women eligible for the screening test to take it up – and approach their GP if they experience unusual symptoms.

Dr Amy Keightley, lead consultant for gynaecological oncology, said that embarassment often stopped women from approaching doctors over health problems affecting the vagina.

She said: “We don’t care what you call it. The important think is that you come and see us.”

Cancer sufferer Jane Flippance urged other women to keep up their tests: “I never missed a scan. It could save your life. Whatever it is [your reasons for not wanting to go for a smear], it can’t be any worse than ignoring it.”

The importance of younger women getting the HPV vaccination was also stressed. The virus, which is picked up through skin contact, can increase the risk of developing cervical cancer later in life.

For more about different women’s cancers, visit: www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/womens-cancer.