Publisher Health

“I still get letters inviting me for my smear test, but I haven’t got a cervix anymore.”

Wendy Clarke lets out a loud defiant laugh. Eight months ago she was told she had terminal cancer.

“There’s a really wicked streak in me that says, ‘should I go and book a test, turn up and scare the bejesus out of them when they do it?”

But the mother of two admits her fear of having a smear test still outweighs that “wicked streak”.

“I’m sure I get the letters more frequently than I used to but maybe I didn’t open them because I knew what they were?” she added.

In January, the 46-year-old, from Fairfield, Stockton, was given the devastating news her cancer was terminal.

She was given six months to live without treatment, or a year with it. Wendy chose the latter.

The tumour in her groin is the size of a lime. Although a first round of chemotherapy reduced it by 11%, the second was not successful and it doubled in size.

Although Wendy has had smear tests in the past after having children, she became fearful and embarrassed when it came to getting more.

“I avoided it,” said Wendy, who has since been forced to retire from her job as a maths and English tutor.

“It is the most personal and private part of your body – and it was not wanting to share that with somebody, a total stranger if you like. I felt violated.

“Maybe some women can relate to that – maybe some chaps can relate to it too.

“I suppose anyone who has an issue going to the dentist can relate, because of the intrusion and the fear, and apprehension.”

There are around 3,200 new cervical cancer cases in the UK every year, according to Cancer Research UK. The majority of cases are preventable.

Wendy is encouraging other women to get a smear test – and to talk about it too.

While her campaign is small, she hopes any conversation out of it will grow.

It was her own fight and determination which saw her nominated for BBC Radio Tees Make A Difference Award for bravery, which will be held on 11 September.

“I don’t feel I’ve done anything brave, quite the opposite,” she said.

“I think it was my lack of bravery that has got me into this position that I am in now.

“Of course, there’s nothing to say that if I had gone and got the test done they would have caught it soon enough – but there’s a very high probability that if I had gone and got my test done I wouldn’t be in the situation that I am now.”

BBC Make A Difference Award ceremonies are taking place across England from September.

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