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.

What is the campaign and how am I a part of it?

With our End Cervical Cancer campaign, we want to see a change in step in cervical cancer prevention. Jo’s is calling for Government strategies and commitments to put us on the course to making cervical cancer the first cancer we can eliminate. What’s really crucial is, in the UK, we already have the tools to do this with the HPV vaccination and cervical screening programmes. With the right resource and investment we can prevent even more cancers by expanding the reach of these programmes and identifying new and better ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer. Ending cervical cancer means leaving no one behind. Everyone should get the best possible treatment, care and support and we will continue to campaign for much needed change. Until the day that cervical cancer is no more, Jo’s will continue to be there for everyone who needs us.

Why are Jo’s doing this now?

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is a really important time to spread the word about how getting the HPV vaccine can help prevent cervical cancer and distil any myths about the virus. It’s also a time when we and other organisations shout about the importance of taking up invitations for cervical screening.

Cervical screening attendance has been largely falling over the past years, and fewer girls and boys in Year 9 are getting vaccinated for HPV. We need to make noise now more than ever.

That’s why we’re using Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to talk about how we can help prevent cervical cancer, but also how we get closer to ending it. We want to get people excited about the opportunity we have to consign a cancer to the history books and join us in improving awareness and uptake of screening and vaccination and calling for government support to get us there as fast as possible.

What’s happening for Cervical Cancer Prevention Week?

There are lots of exciting things happening during the week. On Monday, we have a new campaign film launching. We’re also launching our latest report, We can end cervical cancer: The opportunities and challenges to eliminating cervical cancer in the UK. On Tuesday, we have an Instagram Live with Dr Phillipa Kaye answering your questions on HPV. On Wednesday the Jo’s team is in Westminster meeting with MPs asking them to support our campaign, followed by a Holywood event on Thursday with MSPs. We also have a second film featuring some faces you might recognise from the telly and the silver screen! You can follow along with all of this and more on social media.

Ending cervical cancer also means improving diagnosis, treatment and care. Looking to prevent more cases does not, and should not, mean we must lose sight of that. In our policy work we have been calling for greater support and treatment for side effects such as pelvic radiation disease, and greater access to treatments for those with advanced cancer. If you’ve been diagnosed with cervical cancer, hearing that you have or have had a cancer that could one day be eliminated can be difficult. At Jo’s, we really understand that. I wanted to assure you that Jo’s is here for you for as long as you need us. Remember that you can always take a break from social media scrolling if you think that this messaging will affect you.

Find out how you can get involved with Cervical Cancer Prevention Week >

Regular donations help us plan ahead, so we can be there for everyone who needs us, until the day that cervical cancer is a thing of the past. Can you donate? >