Despite a family history and symptoms it is still not possible to have a cervical smear on the NHS before the age of 25.

On the 16th of October it was result day for my niece. After all the scans and tests and although the rest of her organs are clear the aggressive nature of her cancer means  she has to have a radical hysterectomy on the 4th November and possibly radiotherapy afterwards. I cannot begin to empathise, but to be told at the age of 26 she will never be able to have another child must be beyond heartbreaking She is one of the lucky ones she has a beautiful little boy who is healthy and loved and she knows her health and being alive for her son and family has to come first.

It is a simple change that needs to be made, lowering the age for cervical smears from 25 to 21 and 18 for those with a family history of gynecological cancers. 

Surely the cost of a smear test outweighs the cost of treatments for cancer and the possible devastating loss of life for young women, leaving families without daughters and children without mothers.