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" Women aged under 25 with symptoms of cervical cancer often delay going for screenings, subsequently increasing the risk of the disease spreading, new research has suggested. Cervical cancer develops in a woman&amp;#039;s cervix - the entrance to the womb from the vagina. According to the NHS, around 3,000 women are diagnosed with this type of cancer each year in the UK. It can develop at any age, although it is most prevalent in those who are sexually active and aged between 30 and 45. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London raised concern that cervical cancer is not being taken seriously, with women holding off from taking regular smear tests - despite the disease claiming almost 1,000 lives a year. They set out to investigate the prevalence of delays in the diagnosis of cervical cancer by studying 128 women aged under 30, who all had the disease. It was found that of the participants, only 40 women had been diagnosed with cervical cancer after visiting their GP because of their symptoms, as opposed to from taking a smear test. Of these 40 participants, 60 per cent had experienced delays by the NHS and 28 per cent had delayed seeking help altogether. The researchers also noted that women aged under 25 were more likely to delay visiting a GP than those aged over 25. Reasons for delaying getting checked included embarrassment, not recognising the symptoms and not wanting to waste the doctor&amp;#039;s time. Common symptoms include unusual bleeding, and pain and discomfort during sex.\u00A0 Fiona Osgun, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: &amp;#039;It can be easy to dismiss symptoms as minor, but this research highlights how important it is to know what&amp;#039;s normal for you and to always get any changes that don&amp;#039;t go away checked out by your GP.&amp;#039; The study has been published in the British Journal of General Practice. View the abstract here "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a25293/delays-in-cervical-cancer-checks-in-young-women/>