‘Head torch?’ - check. 

‘Spare laces?’ - check. 

‘She Wee?' - check. 

That was Saturday’s job, checking my kit as I prepare to take part in the National Three Peaks Challenge for Jo’s next weekend. Had I read the blurb properly beforehand I might have been less keen to sign up – walking the length of a marathon, with three hills in it - oh and you try to complete it in 24 hours. 

At Jo’s, our vision has always been a world where cervical cancer is a thing of the past. For this Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, we’re putting the foot on the pedal to get us closer to that day with our We Can campaign to End Cervical Cancer. We also want to make sure that no one is left behind. Let me tell you a little bit about our campaign and why we’re doing this now.

Around 16 million women are in work in the UK, with almost 80% of working age women in full-time, part-time, or self-employed work. 

Women have spent decades carving out their space in the workplace and, while significant progress has been made, the physical and mental health needs faced by many women and people with a cervix are still being overlooked or ignored. 

You might have seen a story in the news today about how often women and people with a cervix are invited for cervical screening. This blog takes you behind the headlines to clear up what it’s all about and what it means for you. 

Since joining Jo’s in early summer 2021 it is fair to say it has been a whirlwind. I’ve seen first hand the impact of the pandemic on cervical cancer and prevention services and the income we rely on was badly hit. At the same time so much progress has been made

This blog has been updated from June 2021.

It was announced in June that an error in Scotland led to some women being wrongly removed from the Cervical Screening Programme. The Scottish Government have given a further update on this today. If you have been affected by the incident, we know this might be an incredibly difficult time. Please do know that Jo’s are here for you.

Sam Dixon became Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust in May 2021. In her first blog post, ahead of Cervical Screening Awareness Week, she shares her experience of cervical screening: her last appointment in June 2021 and her first one in the 90’s, after which she received an abnormal result.