A third of women in their late 20s miss their smear test despite cancer being most common in this age group

A third of women in their later 20s are ignoring advice to have a smear test, figures show.

The procedure is used to detect cervical cancer which is most common in young women.

But research by a charity has found that many are too embarrassed to have the tests or too busy to make an appointment.

Each year there are around 2,800 new cases of cervical cancer and 900 deaths.

It is most common in women aged 25 to 45 and is triggered by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is spread during sex.

Women are invited for smear tests on the NHS every three years from the ages of 25 to 49 while those aged 50 to 64 have one every five years.

The programme has been credited with saving 4,500 lives a year as it detects abnormal cells before they turn cancerous enabling early treatment.

But NHS figures obtained by charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust show that 36 per cent of women aged 25 to 29 due their first smear test last year failed to attend.

In fact this age-group has the lowest attendance rate of all women despite being one of the most at risk of the cancer.

A separate survey of 2,400 women aged 25 to 70 also showed that many believed the procedure to be embarrassing or painful or just could not find a convenient time to make an appointment.

It also found that a third of women aged 50 to 70 did not believe the test was necessary The charity said it was extremely concerned that women in their twenties were failing to show up for their first smear test while those in their sixties were missing their last.

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Robert Music, the charity’s director said: ‘Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease thanks to the cervical screening programme, so we are extremely worried about this trend where women are ignoring their first and last invitation as this could potentially lead to an increase in women diagnosed with the disease.

‘It’s absolutely paramount that women take up their first invitation as early stage cervical cancer, in the majority of cases, is symptomless. In the best case scenario cervical screening is designed to detect abnormal cells before they turn cancerous saving a woman from going through invasive treatment with devastating consequences.

According to the research women are too embarrassed or busy to make an appointment

The NHS figures show that 79 per cent of eligible women have a smear test at least once every five years.

This is a slight fall compared to a decade ago when 82 per cent came forward for the procedure.Professor Kevin Fenton, Director of Health and Wellbeing, Public Health England said: ‘Regular cervical screening is the best way to detect changes to the cervix before cancer develops.

‘Women at both ends of the eligible age range can benefit, as early detection and treatment of abnormalities in cervical cells can prevent cancer from developing.’ 

At the weekend the Mail reported on the case of a teacher who died after being diagnosed with cervical cancer just days after she was called for her first routine smear test - at the age of 25. Gemma Marsh was called to her local GP in Wolverhampton having just turned the minimum age for a cervical screening in November last year. 

But just days after the test the primary school teacher was told her results showed abnormalities, and she was subsequently told she had a tumour.

Over the next few months she underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions, but her cancer spread to other organs and she died last month.

Legislation introduced in 2003 means women under 25 are nor given regular smear tests. Before then testing began at 20.