A 26-year-old UK woman is speaking out after a cervical cancer diagnosis at age 25 revealed the critical need for regular health checks. Jasmin McKee from Hampshire, England, initially blamed her symptoms on her copper coil contraceptive, a misunderstanding that delayed her care. Her experience underscores the importance of cervical screenings, especially as the UK shifts to less frequent testing for some women.
In the UK, cervical screenings were offered every three years, but NHS England recently changed this to five years for women aged 25 to 49 without an HPV history. In 2023, McKee began experiencing lower back pain and bleeding after sex, which she thought was caused by her contraceptive. Having read alarming stories online, she postponed her HPV screening. When she finally went in March 2024, she learned she was HPV positive with many abnormal cells, even though she’d had the HPV vaccine, which lowers but doesn’t fully prevent cancer risk.
McKee’s diagnosis of stage three cervical cancer, which had spread to surrounding tissue, was devastating. She kept it from her family for weeks to protect them from worry. “It felt like everything stopped,” she shared. “I didn’t want my loved ones to carry that burden.” Surgery in November 2024 and radiotherapy in January 2025 didn’t work, so she began chemotherapy in April, with treatment set to continue until September 2025.
To support herself while unable to work, McKee started a GoFundMe campaign. She’s now advocating for women to prioritize screenings and is critical of the NHS’s decision to extend screening intervals. “It feels like women’s health is being overlooked,” she said. “Five years is too long to wait—early tests can save lives.” Her message is clear: don’t delay screenings, as they could catch issues before they become serious.
An NHS England spokesperson defended the change, stating it’s based on robust science and expert recommendations. They explained that new, more accurate tests allow low-risk women to be screened less often, while those with HPV get more frequent monitoring. This personalized approach aims to balance effective care with fewer unnecessary procedures, keeping women’s health first.
