I am a 22 year old female and I live in Kent. 
I have always known what cervical cancer is and what it can do due to my family having experiences with it, my Nan passed away early 30’s and my mum had a hysterectomy at 29. My aunties on my mothers side have had to have treatment for pre-cancerous cells. 
I started experiencing intimate problems around the age of 20-21, I pushed to have a Pap smear done but I was refused due to the age being 25 for a routine Pap smear. I was offered a pelvic exam and swabs to rule out infections which came back clear. On the 24th May 2022, I went back in to my GP as I was experiencing more discomfort and pain alongside other gruelling symptoms. My GP gave me a pelvic exam and found my cervix is inflamed, she then gave me a Pap smear. 
Later on- I found out my Pap smear was rejected by the laboratory as I am under 25. 
Myself and my family had to advocate for my own health at this point and I had to push so many times to be taken seriously and seen. 
I saw a gynaecologist who confirmed the inflammation but couldn’t really go any further. Following this- I went back to the GP until finally I saw someone who referred me to have a colposcopy. 
In the colposcopy they found I had cervical erosion and took a biopsy just to investigate further, I am still awaiting my biopsy results. 
No woman should feel like they are being silenced when they know that something isn’t quite right.

I am fighting for this change of age, maybe not for it to be mandatory but for it to be offered to woman under 25 without paying privately or fear of it being rejected once it reaches the lab. Even if it’s lowered to 21 that’s a huge leap. I have heard so many heartbreaking stories of women getting diagnosed too late once they reach 25 and sadly passing.