The workshop explored the topic of cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women globally. This issue became widely publicised following the death of Big Brother contestant and TV reality star, Jade Goody, who died from cervical cancer at the age of 27.
Attending a cervical screening appointment can be stressful and embarrassing, resulting in many women ignoring their invitations and failing to attend appointments.
The workshop aimed to highlight the importance of attending appointments and providing reassurance that the fear of the appointment is often worse than the actual procedure itself.
Presentations included the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer, how to identify any abnormalities, and a demonstration of the procedure using the reproductive system model.
All the attendees found the session to be very informative and those who haven’t had cervical screening before agreed that the session made them more inclined to attend screening when they receive their appointment.
Alyssa Highton, Assistant Psychologist, said, “I found the well-woman clinic on cervical cancer screening really useful. Importantly, I feel it reduced the stigma and anxiety around cervical screening, hopefully, the women we work with will be more confident in booking and attending their appointments and understand the importance of these screenings.”
Melanie Cranmer, Physical Health Lead, said: “It is a known fact that people with mental health difficulties are less likely to address any physical health conditions they may experience. This may lead to undiagnosed illness which can be preventable.
“At Cygnet Aspen House, we aim to provide support and education to our patients, regarding all aspects of physical health, paying particular attention to women’s health issues such as breast and cervical screening.
“As the well-woman facilitator, I provide interactive workshops that highlight the importance of taking care of physical health and attending health appointments.
“My objective is to make the sessions fun, and informative and hopefully encourage the women at Cygnet Aspen House to attend physical health appointments.”