CERVICAL cancer is a devastating disease with potentially tragic consequences.
But being aware of it, the symptoms and why it's important to have regular smears can be a life-saver.
Cervical cancer is defined as when the disease starts in the neck of the womb, otherwise known as the cervix.
Between 2016-2018 there were 3,197 new cases - and 854 deaths, which means its the most common form of the disease in women under 35.
Generally, it's caused by persistent infections with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is contracted through sex.
Thankfully, most young women in the UK are now immunised against it, although boys aren't.
Here, GP and author Philippa Kaye discusses the most common signs and symptoms of cervical cancer that may warrant a trip to your doctor.
