Chapter 6: Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is largely a sexually transmitted disease but the onus of control is on women, despite men being equally likely to spread the strain. Between 2018 and 2020 the age standardised rate of cervical cancer registrations in the North Integrated Care Partnership was 7.4 per 100,000 population. This is lower than the national average of 9.3 per 100,000 population.
(NHS Digital. NDRS. (2022). Cancer Data: Incidence and Mortality 2018-2020.NHS - cancer data (opens new window))
This is lower rate is likely because of early diagnosis due to high cervical screening coverage, especially in younger ages.
74.6% of women aged 25-49 have had a cervical screen in Gateshead, compared with 68.0% nationally.
75.5% of women aged 50-64 have had a cervical screen in Gateshead, compared with 74.7% nationally.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. (2023) Public health profiles.
On the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a HPV national vaccination programme was introduced in 2008 to protect adolescent females against cervical cancer. At that time, a three dose schedule was offered routinely to secondary school Year eight females (aged 12 to 13) alongside a catch up programme targeting females aged 13 to 18.
In September 2014 the programme changed to a 2-dose schedule based on evidence that showed that antibody response to two doses of HPV vaccine in adolescent females was as good as three doses. The UK Health Security Agency recommended that the first dose be given at any time during year eight, with the second dose being given a minimum of six months after the first, with the recommendation the second dose should be given in year 9 for operational purposes.
(UKHSA. (2022). Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage estimates in England: 2020 to 2021)
From September 2019, males aged 12 and 13 became eligible for HPV immunisation alongside females, based on JCVI advice. This is the first year that males in year 9 have been offered the HPV vaccine. Gateshead has good uptake of the HPV vaccine, although more needs to be done to encourage males to have the vaccine, both nationally and locally.
| HPV vaccination coverage one dose (12-13 year olds) | Gateshead | North East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 70.8% | 62.9% | 71% |
| Female | 80.3% | 69.1% | 76.7% |
| HPV vaccination coverage two dose (13-14 year olds) | Gateshead | North East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 83.6% | 72.9% | 60.6% |
* It appears that vaccination uptake for two doses is greater than for one dose due to different cohorts being compared. In 2020/21 (likely due to the disruption arising from Covid-19) more females received their first dose in year nine rather than year eight. As second doses can be given as little as six months apart, a higher number of females were able to be vaccinated with a second dose in year nine.