That's the stark warning from a charity which is teaming up with Dorset County Hospital to launch a campaign to increase the number of women attending cervical screening tests.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from today (MON21) until Sunday and the GO Girls and DCH are urging all women to attend screening tests when called, in light of a 20-year low in uptake.

The gynaecological support charity said that society seems to have long forgotten the harrowing images of Jade Goody as she left hospital for one last time before returning home to die from cervical cancer.

“It’s quite simple”, says Hilary Maxwell, Chair of GO Girls. “Smear tests save lives. Period.

If you’ve thought – nah, I can’t be bothered, think again. Smear tests are there to detect early changes before a cancer could develop – it’s all about prevention.”

Despite the fact that 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, one in four women are skipping their smear test.

Hilary added: “Many people are frightened of going, but nothing is more frightening than a diagnosis of cancer. Others are simply embarrassed, but it is much more embarrassing to have to tell your loved ones that you have cancer because you didn’t have a smear test. Another common excuse is lack of time, but cancer will rob you of time.”

Many young women ask if they still need to go for a smear test if they have had the HPV vaccine. “The simple answer is yes. The HPV vaccines protect against two high risk HPV types - HPV 16 and 18 which will protect women in about 70 per cent of cases, but it will not protect against all abnormalities or small cell cervical cancer. It’s just not worth taking the risk”, added Hilary.

Meghan Hindley, Dorset County Hospital’s communications officer, said: “We are keen to support uptake of cervical screening. It is clear that smear tests do save lives so don’t let fear, embarrassment or time stop you from attending your cervical screening."