Cervical screening first time invitees
Research type
Research Study
Full title
No Thanks: A Qualitative Exploration of Why Women do Not Come For their First Smear
IRAS ID
359149
Contact name
Charlotte Cullum
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of the West of England
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
0, 0
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 4 days
Research summary
Cervical screening, often called a smear test, is an important way to prevent cancer. It can spot early changes in cells that may one day lead to cancer. In the UK, it is estimated that cervical screening saves around 4,500 lives each year.Despite this, fewer women attend their cervical screening appointments than the NHS would like. One of the biggest challenges is reaching women who are invited for their first ever test. Many in this group do not go to their appointment, even after a reminder letter.
At the moment, we do not fully understand why this happens. There is little research with women about their own views or experiences of being invited. Without this information, it is difficult to know what support would make a difference.
This research project has been set up to explore this question. The main aim is to find out:
What factors affect women’s choices to not go to their first cervical screening appointment?To answer this, researchers want to speak to women from a range of backgrounds in Wales who were invited for their first test around the age of 24½ but did not attend straight away. Through online interviews of up to one hour, women can share their thoughts, feelings and experiences in their own words.
The research will help build a clearer picture of what gets in the way of attendance and what might encourage women to take part. The findings will be written up as part of a Doctorate thesis and added to the wider research literature. Importantly, they will also be shared with the cervical screening programme in Wales. This will give the NHS better information about how to support women and improve attendance at first appointments, helping more people benefit from screening in the future.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/1585
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion