Regular cervical screening stops cervical cancer before it starts.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin, Co-Chair of the European Parliament’s Cervical Cancer Interest Group in the context of European Cervical Cancer prevention week.

She said: “Cervical Cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.  It is overall the eight most frequent cancer among all women in Ireland.

“Having regard to the fact that cervical screening has been proven to reduce the incidence of cancer by 80% and the HPV vaccine has been proven to be almost 100% effective in preventing viruses which cause 70% of all cervical cases it is imperative that women avail of the government funded prevention programmes.

“It is encouraging that at 82% there has been such a good uptake of the vaccination programme among first year students and that the immediate aim is to ensure that no girl leaves school without an opportunity to get the vaccine.

“I would urge all women to avail of the prevention services available which have proven so effective in detecting this very serious threat to women’s health”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.