19/06/2024
The dreaded 'smear test'... but is it really something to dread? I don't believe so, but many do - and for many different reasons; pain, trauma, embarrassment, to name a few.
This week is in the wellbeing awareness calendar. Not the most enjoyable of tests to experience, many of us ladies perhaps have this important health check on our overdue to-do list ... I encourage you to take this week as an opportunity to speak about it, get it booked and done - and demystify it for those around you who may have never had it done before.
There is some great information available from the charity Jo's Trust, not just about why it's important to get checked, but also how to make the experience more comfortable. In terms of supporting access to testing and raising awareness in the workplace, here are some suggestions of what you might do:
- A simple action such as putting information posters on the back of toilet doors could help get people talking and prompt them to get tested
- Put helpful information on your intranet; perhaps even sign up for Jo's Trust's 'Time to Test' initiative.
- 1 in 5 women and people with a cervix who work say they haven’t been able to book a convenient appointment for their cervical screening. Having flexible options for medical appointments can really help. It's not just about the right time of day, but also the right time of the month for testing.
To the women in my network, if you are overdue your own test then I encourage you to take this as a reminder to get it done.
