Roz Purcell has urged women to get their smear test, as she was lucky enough to catch pre-cancerous cells early.
Amid the ongoing Cervical Check scandal, which Norah Casey has also weighed in on, the model beauty took to her Instagram to encourage other women to get checked.
She wrote, “Education is power, so be informed, listen to your body & demand more. I was embarrassed about how little I knew about cervical cancer.”
“I have always been on top of my smear tests but presumed it was something that was hereditary or just would never effect me. I was very fortunate to have symptoms because without them I would not have gone for testing again (and again).”
“And luckily because of this I caught it early (pre-cancerous)….. which means it’s very easily treated.”
“I wasn’t going to talk about it as it’s a very personal thing & stupidly I felt uncomfortable about it. It’s important to talk about, and share information. Maybe it might just spur one person to go get checked.”
The Tipperary native went on to list some symptoms to watch out for, but also warned her followers that you may not notice any symptoms at all.
“Abnormal vaginal bleeding. For example, bleeding in between your periods, after sex or after the menopause,” she wrote. “Blood-stained discharge. Discomfort or pain in your pelvis.”
She continued, “Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by the HPV virus which 80% of us will come in contact with at some stage or another. We should be discussing women’s health like everyday subjects.”
“What has happened recently with the cervical check audit is unacceptable and there needs to be accountability.
“Women’s health on all fronts needs to be made a priority we have so many opportunities to make this happen in the coming months and weeks,” she added.
So far, it’s been reported that a total of 209 women, including 18 women who have died, have been ‘directly affected’ by the Cervical Check controversy.
The women had been given incorrect smear test results by the national cervical cancer screening programme.
For more information about cervical cancer, click here.
