SUPPORT CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION WEEK - BURT

8.18.00am GMT Sat 26th Jan 2008

Local parliamentary candidate and West Midlands Liberal Democrat parliamentary health spokesperson, Richard Burt has thrown his weight behind European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which aims to raise awareness of all aspects of cervical cancer.

Richard is urging readers to show their support by joining him in signing the "STOP Cervical Cancer Petition" online.

Commenting today, Richard said:

"Over two thousand new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year.

"Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable kinds of cancer and each woman has a role to play in ensuring that she keeps herself healthy and out of danger in this regard.

"A lot of the problem lies in confusion or ignorance of the disease and the campaign being run by the European Cervical Cancer Prevention aims to inform women about the actions they can take to protect themselves."

Cervical cancer is caused by a common virus, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual intercourse or intimate skin-to-skin genital contact.

"It is very common - in fact up to 80 per cent of women will come into contact with the virus at some point in their lifetime" added Richard.

"I urge all women in Worcestershire to regularly attend their GPs for smear tests, and to help raise awareness by signing the petition online at www.cervicalcancerpetition.eu ."