LTB062/15 Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2015 - 25-31 Jan

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LTB062/15 Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2015 - 25-31 January 2015



No. 062/15

Ref P4/15

Date: 30 January 2015

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2015 - 25-31 January 2015

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (CCPW) is a European wide initiative lead by the European Cervical Cancer Association and in the UK by Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust.

The Health Safety and Environment Department are once again supporting and working with the Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust Charity, the Organisation leading the UK Campaign and doing a great job in this country. Working with Jo's Trust we are again supporting the campaign this year and need your help to raise awareness.

Just under 3,000 women a year are diagnosed with Cervical Cancer yet there are steps women can take to prevent it from affecting them. Despite this in the UK 20% of eligible UK women don't take up their invitation for cervical screening and don't attend their smear test, rising to 33% of 25-29 year olds and, worryingly, the numbers being diagnosed with cervical cancer are going up. This is why we're asking you to remind

CWU members about the importance of attending their smear test! Raising public awareness of cervical cancer prevention is more necessary than ever.

The week's focus is on all things to do with Cervical Cancer including information about symptoms and causes of the disease, ways to prevent it and to support Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust in their sterling efforts and in that regard the CWU Health, Safety& Environment Department are once again pleased to be supporting the Charity and working with them again this year with their Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign.

This year Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust have published two new Posters emphasising the strapline "Smear Test Overdue Book Today" and pdf copy versions are attached along with other campaign materials. The Department wants all Branches, Regions and Health and Safety Reps to get involved and help us raise awareness.

Attachments/Campaign Materials

Attached to assist awareness raising is the following information:-

Jo's Trust Materials Order Form
Jo's Trust Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet
Jo's Trust Spread The Word Poster
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust Poster
Cervical Cancer Screening NHS Leaflet
Cervical Cancer Smear Test Overdue-Book Today - Jo's Trust Posters (two versions)
Branches and Reps can run campaigns and activities locally. Raising awareness in the Branch area is often one of the best and most effective ways of reaching a high number of members.

Examples of how you could reach and raise awareness amongst members in your local branch area include:

Display Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust Posters and Leaflets in Offices, Depots.
Distribute leaflets in Offices and Depots.
Ask local management to allow Posters to be put up e.g. in Women's Toilets.
Run a stand or tables with leaflets at your branch area Offices, Depots etc.
Organise an event with Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust - invite a speaker from the Charity.
Tell the local media.
Start an online conversation - you could tweet, Facebook, Google + or blog about CCPW!
Did you know?

1. Every day in the UK 9 women are diagnosed and nearly 3 women die of cervical cancer.

2. Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease.

3. In the UK, cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35.

4. The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are:

Bleeding between periods, after sexual intercourse.
Post-menopausal bleeding, if you are not on HRT or have stopped it for six weeks.
Smelly discharge from the vagina.
Discomfort during sexual intercourse.
5. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by a common virus called Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

6. You can catch the virus, called HPV as soon as you start having intimate relationships.

7. Cervical screening and HPV vaccination are the best ways to reduce your risk of getting cervical cancer.

8. HPV vaccination protects against two types of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers.

9. Screening in England and Northern Ireland starts at 25 and ends at 64, in Wales it is 20 to 64 and Scotland 20 to 60*.

10. Smoking increases your risk of getting cervical cancer.

Order Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust publications and Materials to display and hand out

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust can send you materials to display and hand out or you can download your own from the Charity's resource centre. Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust has a series of comprehensive materials available for you to download. The materials are organised into two categories: fundraising and information. All the factsheets have been refereed by members of their expert medical panel. If you want to order hardcopies of any of their campaign materials, please fill in a materials order form or download a form and send your order to:

Email to: publications@jostrust.org.uk

or Post to: Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust,

CAN Mezzanine,

49 - 51 East Road, London N1 6AH.

Alternatively, you can phone the Jo's Trust office on: 020 7250 8311.

See more at: http://www.jostrust.org.uk/resources/ma ... gQR66.dpuf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want more information contact Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust by Email at: info@jostrust.org.uk or use the above Postal Address or Telephone Number or visit the Website at: http://www.jostrust.org.uk/get-involved ... oxc8W.dpuf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust Helpline

The Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust Helpline for members is 0808 802 8000

Ask The Expert

Through Jo's Trust's "Ask The Expert" Service, you can put your questions to a panel of qualified experts who have all kindly volunteered their time and expertise to help the Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust community. Ask The Expert allows you to ask specific questions related to all aspects of cervical cancer. Once you have submitted your question online, it will be passed on to the volunteer medical panellists who have the expertise to answer your question. The service is completely confidential. Go to:- http://www.jostrust.org.uk/support/ask-expert" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amy and Lisa's stories

You can also read Amy and Lisa's stories about their experiences with cervical cancer and why they are supporting the campaign. (See attached)

European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA)

Information on the European wide Campaign from the European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA) is available on their Website at: http://www.ecca.info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The Pearl of Wisdom is the symbol of the Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign and the Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Special 'Pearl Of Wisdom Pins' can be purchased from the ECCA.

The ECCA stress that raising awareness about cervical screening and HPV vaccination is essential to reducing cervical cancer rates in Europe. Almost every case of cervical cancer could be prevented by cervical screening and vaccination against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). However, many women in Europe do not have access to these programs because their governments have not prioritised their implementation and even where cervical screening or HPV vaccination are available, many people do not use them because they have not been made aware of the health benefits these programs will provide. The ECCA therefore campaigns for universal access to screening and vaccination and to ensure people use the programmes in those European Countries providing them. Organised cervical cancer screening programmes can prevent up to 80% of cervical cancers. In addition, vaccines against the Human papillomavirus (HPV) are highly effectively when given to adolescents and can reduce cervical cancer rates even further. So why, when we could prevent almost every case, do 60,000 women develop and 30,000 women die from cervical cancer every year in Europe? There are two main reasons:

Many countries still do not have effective cervical screening and HPV vaccination programmes so people in these countries just do not have access to them,
Even where these programmes are in place, many women have not been made aware of their importance so they do not use them.
The European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (CCPW) was launched to address these issues by organising events to raise awareness of cervical cancer and how it can be prevented among 3 primary target audiences:

1. The general public; people must have a good understanding of the benefits of cervical screening and HPV vaccination to motivate use of these services where they are available,

2. Health care providers; doctors, nurses and other health care providers must have accurate and up-to-date information about cervical screening and HPV vaccination so they can answer questions from their patients and encourage them to use these services,

3. Politicians; political leaders must be informed about the benefits of cervical screening and HPV vaccination so they understand the importance of prioritising these programmes.

Notification of the 2015 Cervical Cancer Prevention Week was only received this week and therefore greater notice to CWU Branches was not possible. However having discussed this with Jo's Trust it is emphasised that the campaign material can be used at any time, beyond the launch week to run local campaigns at any time during the year, that suits Reps, Branches and Regions to organise awareness raising and information campaigns as this is an ongoing effort and not just during this one week which is the annual focal point and reminder to all those concerned.

Yours Sincerely

Tony Rupa
Acting National Health, Safety & Environment Officer