Ciara Lawrence
People with a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. are not getting equal access to preventive healthcare. These inequalities can lead to women who haven’t been screened being at a greater risk of developing cervical cancer. The existing research Research is a way of finding out information which could come from books, or asking people what they think. shows that barriers are not just individual. They are also linked to healthcare systems, communication, attitudes and assumptions.
Healthcare professionals sometimes struggle to explain the procedure of cervical screening to women with a learning disability and many people do not get clear
consent
Consent is when you say yes to something, like an operation, or Mencap using your photo for a story. You may have to sign something to say yes. If you can't make your own decisions, someone else can say yes or no for you. They must think about what is right for you.
. Some health professionals and carers wrongly believe people with a learning disability are not sexually active. Because of this attitude, they do not offer screening and exclude people with a learning disability from these services.
This subject is very important to me as I have lost family relations to cancer. The youngest relative I lost to cancer was only 48 years old and it made me very sad. That is why I became a volunteer
A volunteer is someone who helps out by doing work for free. ambassador for 2 gynaecological cancer awareness charities called Grace Women and The Eve Appeal
To appeal means saying you want someone to think about a decision again. to help raise important awareness of the importance of cervical cancer screening and about gynae health.
Healthcare services for people with a learning disability need to be more inclusive. They need to allow more time for appointments and train staff to support people with a learning disability to go for screening like cervical screening tests.
Information about cervical cancer screening should also be clear and easy to understand and made available in
accessible
Accessible means something is easy for people to use or join in with. For example: Accessible writing means the writing is easy to read and understand.
formats like easy language.
Health campaigns should also include people with a learning disability as screening is important for them and support them to make decisions.
Future work on this should include people with a learning disability directly and design services with them from the start as that is more inclusive and powerful.
The research shows that improving access to cervical screening requires change so that healthcare for people with a learning disability is fair and accessible for everyone.
"I went for my first cervical screening test after my relatives passed away and I got good support to go for mine and I made a video about it online to help share my experience Experience is when you have learned or tried something before. ."
Information and support
There is information and support out there to help people with a learning disability go for their cervical screening.
If anyone feels anything that isn’t normal, they should go to their doctor and get checked. Early diagnosis A diagnosis is when a medical professional like a doctor has said you have a certain illness or condition. could help to save their life!
- Cervical screening test Easy Read
- The Eve Appeal nurse information service:
Contact their nurses for free support by emailing: [email protected] or by phoning: 0808 802 0019.
This blog was written with support from The Eve Appeal
The Eve Appeal is a charity that works to stop gynaecological cancers from happening. These are cancers that can affect parts of the body such as the womb, ovaries, cervix, vulva and vagina. The charity also helps people find cancer early, when it can be easier to treat.
Mencap would like to thank the Eve Appeal for their support in reviewing the blog and ongoing collaboration.
Brendan Chivasa