THOUSANDS of women across Hampshire are failing to make appointments for smear tests - and risking their lives in the process...

HAVING a smear test is probably the best way of reducing your risk of cervical cancer," said consultant gynaecologist Simon Crawford.

He was speaking in the light of recent figures that reveal thousands of women are ignoring the advice and failing to make the important appointments for a smear test.

Throughout the regiion 27,000 women have missed their latest cervical smear test - and some may inevitably be putting their lives at risk.

The shocking figure has emerged as Southampton City Primary Care Trust launched new out-of-hours sessions to encourage women to make an appointment.

Peter Davidson, public health consultant for Southampton City Primary Care Trust, said: "A small number of these women could be harbouring cervical cancer. By the time they come forward it could have gone past the stage of being able to be cured. A small number of women will, therefore, be putting their lives at risk.

"A cervical smear test is a very simple test that can save lives. I would urge any woman who has received a reminder for their smear test to book an appointment at their GP surgery or try to attend one of these out-of-hours sessions."

Southampton is below the national average for take-up of the test with 12,000 women missing their appointment.

Test Valley South, which includes Eastleigh, has 5,000 women who failed to make an appointment and in the New Forest 3,500 women had ignored the letter asking them to make an appointment.

In Fareham and Gosport that figure was nearly 7,000.

Southampton's poor record has been blamed on socio-economic factors and a larger transient population.

Statistics prove that people living in deprived areas are less likely to use medical services than those living in more affluent areas.

Cervical testing is offered to every woman aged 25-64 every three to five years, even if they are not sexually active or if they have gone through the menopause.

Cervical screening is not a test for cervical cancer - it is designed to detect signs that it maydevelop so it can be stopped before it even gets started.

Early detection and treatments can prevent cancer developing in about 75 per cent of cases and screening saves more than 1,000 lives in the UK each year.

"Women who are overdue for their test will have received another reminder letter from their GP surgery in the last few weeks asking them to book an appointment. It is vital that these women have their smear test and get the results," said Mr Davidson.

He stressed that keeping the appointment for a cervical smear also gives the opportunity for other health matters to be discussed.

"It gives an opportunity for things like blood pressure, which has recently been in the news, to be checked.

"Women shouldn't be intimidated. We want them to come forward and have the test. We are not looking to find the disease, we are checking to see if they are at risk of developing it," he said.

Consultant Simon Crawford works at Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital and deals with up to 20 cases of cervical cancer in women each year.

He is a firm believer in the benefits of the smear test programme and said many women seemed reluctant to go through the procedure because of a misunderstanding about its purpose.

"There is a misconception that the smear programme is designed to pick

up cancers, whereas the purpose of the programme is to pick up pre-cancerous activity that indicates a higher risk of developing a cancer in the future.

"In a small number of cases there will be patients who have a smear test and it shows they have cervical cancer. The important thing is that if it is identified early the patient will stand a better chance than those with an advanced tumour," he said.

Smoking has also been linked to cervical cancer and women who smoke and fail to make smear test appointments are increasing their risk.

Mr Crawford explained: "The majority of cell changes are as a result of a virus called HPV which occurs in sexually active women. Most bodies will deal with HPV inthe same way as it would a cold and fight the infection. But some people don't deal with it well. There is a link with smoking because it affects immunity and your ability to deal with things like HPV."

Mr Davidson said the national standard was to achieve an 80 per cent take-up of smear tests but in Southampton they had only achieved 78 per cent.

"We are asking people to come forward to help them find out if they are at risk of this disease. We are looking for very early signs of cell change so we can catch it before it develops," he said.

To make the process more convenient, extra drop-in sessions have been organised across Southampton in September.

The following sessions have been organised:

Saturdays 9am-12.45pm (September 4, 11, 18, 25 )

Bitterne Walk-in Centre, Shirley Walk-in Centre, Woolston Lodge Surgery, Aldermoor Surgery (September 18 and 25 only), St Mary's Surgery, Shirley Health Centre (September 4 and 11 appointments only).

Mondays 6.30pm-8.45pm (September 6, 13, 20, 27)

Woolston Lodge Surgery (appointments only), Shirley Walk-in Centre

Tuesdays 6.30pm-8.45pm (September 7, 14, 21, 28 )

Aldermoor Surgery (September 21-28 only) Bitterne Walk-in Centre

Wednesdays 6.30pm-8.45pm (September 8, 15, 22, 29)

Shirley Walk-in Centre

Thursdays (September 9,16, 23, 30)

Shirley Health Centre (September 9 and 16 only), Aldermoor Surgery (September 23 and 30 only), Bitterne Walk-in Centre.

You can attend any of these clinics without an appointment unless otherwise stated. To make an appointment call 023 8047 5930.