MORE must be done to encourage people living in deprivation to attend their smear tests, experts have said.

Professionals looking at potential reasons cervical exams are missed have uncovered a number of groups who are least likely to attend their appointments.

The groups are those living in deprivation, those from ethnic minorities, those with learning disabilities and younger people.

However, some of the main reasons women and people with cervixes tend not to visit go along to their routine appointments are more simple than many realise, with childcare and transportation being one of the biggest issues facing women.

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Last month the Glasgow Times launched its new campaign, Don’t Fear the Smear, in a bid to encourage those aged between 25 and 64 years old to attend their vital screening tests.

Professor Katie Robb, professor of behavioural science and health, has been studying the reasons behind those who choose to put off their visit.

As part of her work, Professor Robb and her team are working on a study into the behaviours of women from ethnic minorities and with learning disabilities to determine the root causes of their concern about attending.

Recently, the group conducted a small-scale study in Glasgow of faith-based intervention for Muslim women to encourage screenings for breast, bowel and cervical cancer with the professor now turning her attention to how this has affected the confidence of those involved to attend screenings and their likelihood to do so in the future.

She told the Glasgow Times: “Cervical cancer is one of the cancers that is preventable and curable as long as we can detect it early … there’s a number of things that can put people off.

“There can be a lack of knowledge about the test and what’s it for. For people who are feeling healthy and don’t have symptoms, they can put it off, they might not realise the importance of finding it before it turns into symptoms.

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“There’s a great deal of fear. It’s cancer and people are frightened of cancer and then the test, itself, although it only takes five minutes.”

The professor, who has been working at the West End university for 10 years, added: “It’s not just about improving the knowledge but also supporting people and improving their confidence to come forward.”

As part of Don’t Fear the Smear, the Glasgow Times is also calling on wait times for initial smear test results and follow-up colposcopy examinations – which are currently around eight weeks and one year respectively – to be reduced amid fears lengthy delays will render the exams “pointless” for those already on the fence about attending the appointments.

Among the top reasons for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s low attendance rate, which is one of the worst in the country, Professor Robb has discovered transport costs, childcare restrictions and simply making the time to go are at the top of the list.

She said: “It’s about making it more accessible and giving women more support.”