Cervical Cancer Awareness Month: A gentle, urgent reminder for South Asian women

January comes with all the usual noise about diets and detoxes. But quietly, alongside all that, January is also Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a month dedicated to talking about a cancer that is, in many cases, highly preventable, especially when it’s found early. In the UK, around 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, and around 850 die from it.

That’s not a tiny number. And it’s not something that only happens to “other people”.

For many South Asian women, though, anything to do with our cervix, vagina, periods, or sex life has been wrapped in silence, shame, or “we don’t talk about these things”. Add midlife, menopause, kids, parents, work, community responsibilities, and your own screening test slides right to the bottom of the list.

Here’s the truth:

You are not being dramatic for wanting to protect your health. You are not “overthinking it” for wanting to stay alive and well for the next chapter of your life.

Let’s talk about cervical cancer and screening in a way that feels clear, culturally honest, and centred on South Asian women.

What actually is cervical cancer?

Put simply:

• Your cervix is the lower part of your womb (uterus) that opens into the top of your vagina, often called the “neck of the womb”.
• Cervical cancer happens when cells in this area become abnormal and, over time, turn into cancer.

Most cervical cancers are caused by a widespread virus called HPV (human papillomavirus). It’s usually passed on through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Most of us will have HPV at some point and never know; the body clears it on its own. But sometimes, it doesn’t, and that’s when abnormal cells can develop.

This is why screening and the HPV vaccine are such significant developments: they catch things early or prevent them from happening at all.

Who is invited for cervical screening, and when?

In the UK, anyone with a cervix aged 25 to 64 is offered free cervical screening on the NHS.

• You’re usually first invited just before you turn 25.
• From 25 to 49, invitations are typically every 3 years.
• From 50 to 64, invitations are usually every 5 years, or sooner if something needs re-checking.

If you’re 65 or over, you’ll normally only be invited if a recent test was abnormal, but you can still ask for a test if you’ve never been screened.

If you’re reading this and thinking:

• “I’m sure I had a letter… somewhere…”
• “I moved GP and never booked again.”
• “I was too embarrassed last time, so I ignored it.”

You are not the only one. As of 2024, about one in three people in the UK who are eligible for cervical screening are overdue, often because of fear, embarrassment, or previous discomfort.

Why does this matter so much for South Asian women

Research in the UK has found that Asian and South Asian women are less likely to attend cervical screening compared with white women, even after accounting for things like age, income or area.

Common barriers include:

• Not knowing what the test actually checks for
• Language barriers and confusing letters
• Fear of pain or past negative experiences
• Embarrassment about being examined “down there”
• Worry about being seen by a male nurse or doctor
• Cultural shame around anything linked to sex, especially before marriage
• Belief that “good women” or women who are not currently sexually active are not at risk

In some studies, South Asian women reported poorer knowledge of cancer and prevention, more fear of the word “cancer” itself, and greater influence of cultural norms and modesty around screening.

So if you’ve ever thought:

“I’m married and faithful, I don’t need this.”
“I’ve only had one partner.”
“I’ve gone through menopause now, isn’t it too late?”
“I’m not sexually active anymore, so why bother?”

Please hear this gently: Cervical screening is about the health of your cervix, not your morality, your number of partners, or your current sex life. If you have ever been sexually active and still have a cervix, screening matters.

“But I’m scared / embarrassed / it hurt last time…”

You’re not being silly. Many women report feeling afraid, embarrassed, or put off because of a painful or rushed experience. In a recent UK survey, people overdue for screening commonly mentioned pain, embarrassment, and not wanting a male clinician as key reasons for not attending.

Here’s what you can ask for:

• A female nurse or doctor: you’re absolutely allowed to request this when you book.
• More time: say you’re anxious, or it’s your first time, and you’d like a longer appointment.
• An interpreter: if English isn’t your first language, ask the surgery if they can arrange interpreting support.
• To stop at any point: you’re in charge. If you’re in pain, they can pause, adjust position, use more lubricant, try a smaller speculum, or stop.

You can also tell them if:

• You have a history of trauma
• You’ve experienced FGM
• Penetration is painful for you

There are adjustments they can make, but they can only help if they know.

If it helps, you can:

• Take a trusted friend or relative with you to the waiting room
• Practise deep, slow breathing beforehand
• Wear a long skirt or dress so you feel less exposed

You’re not being “dramatic” for needing these things. You’re taking care of yourself.

HPV vaccination: protecting the next generation

Most cervical cancer is linked to HPV, which is why the HPV vaccine is offered to young people (usually around age 12–13) in UK schools.

The worrying bit? HPV vaccine uptake in some parts of England, particularly among teenage girls, has dropped and is still below pre-COVID-19 levels. That means more preventable cancers in the future, including cervical cancer.

If you’re a South Asian mum, auntie or grandmother, you might hear things like:

• “It will encourage them to be sexually active.”
• “It’s too new, we don’t know the side effects.”
• “We didn’t have it, and we’re fine.”

What we know from the evidence:

• The HPV vaccine is designed to protect against cancer-causing strains of HPV.
• It does not change your child’s values or decisions about sex; it simply protects their body if and when they become sexually active.
• The UK is aiming to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040, and high HPV vaccine coverage is a key part of that plan.

You can:

• Read the NHS information together with your daughter or child
• Ask the school nurse or GP any questions you have
• Talk about it as a normal health protection, like other childhood vaccines

And remember: even if someone has had the HPV vaccine, they still need cervical screening when they’re old enough.

Signs and symptoms not to ignore

Cervical screening is for people who feel well. You shouldn’t wait for symptoms before attending.

That said, if you notice any of the following, you should speak to your GP:

• Bleeding between periods
• Bleeding after sex
• Bleeding after menopause
• Unusual vaginal discharge
• Pain during sex
• Persistent lower back or pelvic pain

These symptoms can be caused by many things that are not cancer, such as infections, fibroids, or hormonal changes, but they are always worth checking.

You deserve to be taken seriously. If you’re dismissed, you are allowed to ask for a second opinion.

How to make this month mean something, especially in South Asian families

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month isn’t just about social media posts; it’s about interrupting the silence in our own circles.

A few ideas:

1. Start with yourself

• Check when your last cervical screening was.
• If you’re overdue, book it. You don’t have to announce it to the world; just take the step.

2. Share gently in your circles

You might say to a friend, sister or cousin:

“I finally went for my smear test last week. It wasn’t fun, but I feel relieved. When was your last one?”

Or in a WhatsApp group:

“January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, just a reminder for us to check our smear test letters. We’re very good at telling everyone else to look after themselves… this one’s for us.”

You don’t have to lecture. Just open the door.

3. Talk to your daughters, nieces, and younger women

Instead of silence or fear:

• Explain what the cervix is
• Explain HPV as a common virus, not a “dirty disease”
• Frame the vaccine and future screening as acts of self-respect, not shame

You’re breaking a pattern every time you name something your mother and grandmother couldn’t.

Gentle journaling prompts for this awareness month

If you’d like to sit with this a little more, try these prompts:

• What messages did I receive growing up about my body “down there”? How have they influenced my willingness to seek care?
• When I imagine going for a cervical screening, what feelings come up? Fear? Embarrassment? Anger? Where do I feel them in my body?
• If I knew that a 15-minute appointment could prevent years of treatment or even save my life, what support would I need to feel able to book it?
• What kind of story do I want the women coming after me to tell about how our generation handled gynaecological health?

Let whatever comes up be there. You might feel resistance, sadness, determination, or all three.

You are worth the appointment

At the end of the day, this isn’t about numbers or campaigns. It’s about you:

• You, who has spent years taking everyone else to their appointments.
• You, who reminds parents about their medication and kids about their vaccines.
• You, whose body has carried so much, pregnancies or not, heartbreak, stress, long days, sleepless nights.

Cervical screening is not glamorous. It’s not Instagrammable. It’s a small, slightly awkward act of self-preservation. But those 10–15 minutes could be what keeps you here for the next chapter of your life, the chapter where you’re not just surviving, but actually living more fully in your midlife body.

This January, let Cervical Cancer Awareness Month be your nudge:

• To open the letter.
• To book the test.
• To have the conversation.

Not because you’re scared, but because you’re finally treating your own life as worthy of care.