When my smear test letter came through the post, my initial thought was: 'I'm at that age already?', soon followed by a wave of anxiety at the thought of attending a cervical cancer screening. There is so much negativity around it that I couldn't help but question if it would hurt or if I'd feel uncomfortable - even down to what awkward small talk I would make with the nurse.
I knew that it was important to book my appointment straight away, but I didn't really understand why. I was 11 years old when Jade Goody passed away and although I'd heard about her hugely positive impact on smear test rates, like many young women, I wasn't aware of how life-saving they really could be.
