I know my body
Last modified: 24 May 2025, 14:15
CoppaFeel! And Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust joined forces for International Women’s Day 2018.
Breast and cervical are the most common cancers in women under 35 and we wanted to empower and encourage young women to take control of their bodies, recognise what is normal for them and take steps to look after their health.
For International Women’s Day 2018, we wanted to start a conversation with young women about the importance of getting to know their body. Whether this is getting to know what is normal for your boobs or getting familiar with your monthly periods. Knowing what is normal for your body and taking action to look after it is simple. It can be as easy as a 2 minute boob check once a month or a 5 minute visit for your smear test every 3 years.
After all – I know my body
Download the graphic to share on social media.
Many of you joined us on International Women’s Day (Thursday 8th March) for a Facebook live event with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust ambassador Meg from Wonderful You, CoppaFeel! Digital Boob Team ninja Carly Rowena and GP Dr Rory Taylor to talk all things cervixes and boobs.
If you missed it, don’t worry – watch the video here.
How else can you join?
Continue the conversation and encourage the women in your life to start getting to know their bodies.
- Share the message online
- Start the conversation in your network: It can be as simple as reminding colleagues, friends and family that checking their boobs or attending their smear tests are important for women of all ages and ethnicities.
- Share your story in your community: We all know how powerful personal experiences can be to encourage others to take action. If you have a story to tell, get in touch to
What can you do to get to know your body?
Checking your boobs isn’t only fun, it could save your life.
Breast cancer affects both men and women and can happen at any age. The majority of cases happen in women over 50 but getting into a habit of knowing your boobs from a young age is important. This means you will know your body and boobs really well throughout your life and will be able to detect any unusual changes early. The good news is breast cancer is very treatable if found early.
So coppafeel regularly and get to know the symptoms. If in doubt, always get it checked out! For the lowdown on checking your boobs, check out our Boob Check 101.
Attending your smear test could save your life
Smear tests (cervical screening) provide the best protection against cervical cancer preventing 75% of cervical cancer. Yet, 1 in 3 young women don’t attend their test. If you’ve been invited for your screening, find out more about what happens or call our Helpline on 0808 802 8000.
Being symptom aware is important, even if you do attend your smear tests. There are some recognised symptoms associated with cervical cancer that you should be aware of. These include;
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Abnormal bleeding: during or after sexual intercourse, or between periods
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Post menopausal bleeding: if you are not on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or have stopped it for six weeks or more
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Unusual vaginal discharge
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Discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse
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Lower back pain.
If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms or are concerned about any new symptom you should make an appointment to see your GP as soon as possible. You should report these symptoms even if you have recently had a cervical screening (smear test) that came back normal. Remember, these symptoms can be associated with many other conditions that are not cancer related.
For more information on breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!, visit their website.