Decline in smears raises risk

Women in their twenties are leaving themselves vulnerable to undiagnosed cervical cancer, which causes 1,000 deaths a year although it is 100 per cent preventable.

Young women are refusing the offer of screening for the disease out of embarrassment and because they wrongly believe it is unnecessary.

Of the 660,000 women aged 25-29 offered screening in 2005-06, 30 per cent refused, up from 20 per cent in 1994-05. Experts estimate that 2,000 of them may be at high risk of getting cancer.

Cervical cancer is the second most common in British women under 35 and causes 250,000 deaths worldwide, 90 per cent in the developing world. It is caused by persistent infection with HPV (human papilloma virus) which is sexually transmitted.

Screening involves taking a sample of cells from the cervix using a spatula inserted in the vagina, and inspecting the cells for pre-cancerous changes.