A woman with the diagnosis stage three cervical cancer at the age of 25 after postponing a routine smear test initially believed that her symptoms were linked to her newly appropriate copper coil.
Jasmin McKee, now 26, from Southampton, Hampshire, said that in 2023 she started experiencing pain in the lower back and bleeding.
Despite her worries, she slowed down her cervical display until March 2024 and admitted that she was deterred by “horror stories online”.
Five weeks later she was told that she was HPV positive with a large number of abnormal cells, even though she had had the vaccine at school. This was later confirmed as stage three cervical cancer, which means that the cancer had spread in the surrounding tissue.
The diagnosis made her feel “numb”.
Jasmin was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 25 (collect/PA)
She said she was operated on in November 2024 and radiotherapy in January 2025, but when both were not successful, she started chemotherapy in April.
She shaved her head awaiting hair loss, with her six -year -old niece, Darcy May Rose, who cut 12 cm from her own hair into the support.
Jasmin, who is expected to end the treatment in September 2025, says that the experience has emphasized the importance of cervical screening, and has criticized that the NHS England's decision to change HPV-negative screening for people aged 25 to 49 of each three years to five.
“If there are such major changes, it may feel that they (NHS England) don't really take women's health seriously,” she said.
“I think that was probably one of my first thoughts when I first read about the changes … It can feel pretty rejecting.
Jasmin started bleeding after sex and experiencing lower back pain in 2023 (collect/PA)
“It is a scary thought that there can be women who go under the radar.”
In March 2023, Jasmin had assembled a copper coil and started experiencing pain in the lower back around the same time, bleeding after sex and irregular periods, which she assumed they were due to the intra -uterine device (IUD).
She turned 25 in December and delayed her cervical screening after reading “Horror Stories Online”, eventually attending in March 2024 – although she now realizes that she “had nothing to do” in terms of the test itself and should have done immediately.
“I was in and out within 10 minutes and for me it was painless,” she said.
Jasmin felt 'numb' after receiving the diagnosis (collecting/PA)
About five weeks later she said that doctors confirmed that she was HPV positive, with a large number of abnormal cell changes.
Two weeks later she said she had a biopsy and internal and external ultrasound, and a two weeks later she was told that she had three cervical cancer stage.
“Everything just goes a bit numb … it's just such a big shock,” she said.
“The thought went through my head:” What am I going to tell my grandparents? '
“I haven't told my family for a while.
Jasmin was operated on in the hope of removing the tumor, but it was not successful (collect/PA)
“I didn't want the people I feel most sad to me. I just didn't want them to worry.”
Jasmin said that doctors later confirmed that her earlier symptoms were signs of cervical cancer, not the coil.
Jasmin said she had surgery in November 2024 to try to remove the tumor in her cervix, but doctors could not completely remove it and it continued to grow to two to five centimeters in size.
In January 2025 she started radiotherapy for three weeks, five days a week, and decided to tell her family about her diagnosis.
Jasmin currently has chemotherapy (collecting/PA)
“They were upset but so supportive, I felt bad because I didn't tell them,” she said.
“(The radiotherapy) Just made me so tired that I could have slept 24 hours a day.”
Unfortunately, scans revealed that radiotherapy had not been effective and Jasmin started chemotherapy in April 2025.
“I was just frustrated after I had experienced it all not to work. It felt pointless,” she said.
Doctors said there was a big chance that she could lose her hair, so she shape her head to “stay under control” and donated her to the Little Princess Trust, who makes wigs for children and young people.
Jasmin with her niece, Darcy May (collect/PA)
Her niece, Darcy May, also cut 12 cm from her own hair in support, making Jasmin “in tears in the tears”.
She now has eight rounds of chemotherapy, every three weeks, and is expected to end the treatment at the beginning of September 2025.
“As soon as I'm better, I will take every chance and get as much happiness as possible from life,” she said.
Main symptoms of cervical cancer
NHS
Symptoms of cervical cancer are:
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Vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after menopause, or heavier periods than normal
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Changes in your vaginal discharge
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Pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis) or in your lower abdomen
According to NHS England, younger women aged 25 to 49 from 25 to 49 years old will test that negative on HPV – which means that they run a very low risk of cervical cancer – invited to screening every five years instead of three.
The approach is based on evidence and expert recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee and is based on analysis of King's College London with a screening of five years is just as safe as three annually, with the same number of cancers.
This change will bring cervical screening in England in line with Scotland, Wales and other European countries, and to coordinate screening intervals to those of women aged 50 to 64, where they are invited every five years.
But Jasmin believes that the change is a step in the wrong direction.
Jasmin's niece cut her hair into solidarity (collect/PA)
“The (a cervical screening) will not always lead to a diagnosis, but it's just to be on the safe side,” she said.
“Every three years is clearly a long time in itself, but I think a lot can happen in five years, and then someone may not know about cancer or anything else until it is too late, and it could have been prevented with more regular smear tests.
“So I think (the change) was disappointing to read.”
At the moment, every woman who has HPV or has a recent history of HPV will still be invited to more frequent screening to check whether the virus has been erased and, if not, to check for cell changes in the uterine rals.
Looking back on her experience, Jasmin has realized the importance of cervical impressions and is not forthcoming to postpone their agreements in other women.
Jasmin was nervous to have her cervical screening in the beginning (collect/PA)
She said: “They (cervical screening tests) are not embarrassing, the nurses will do 20 a day, nobody doesn't care.
“It's so fast, it's nothing to be afraid of and they can save your life.”
A spokesperson for NHS England said: “We acknowledge that changes in cervical screening may seem disturbing, but everyone wants to reassure that this new approach is based on robust scientific evidence and an expert recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee.
“The NHS Cervical Screening Program tests for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and uses a better and more accurate test than before.
“This means that if you test a negative test on HPV, you don't have to be screened as often if your risk of developing cervical cancer is very low.
“If you test a positive test for HPV, we will keep an eye on you with extra tests and follow -up agreements.
“This personalized approach ensures that everyone receives the right level of screening based on their individual risk factors, which provides better protection and at the same time reduces unnecessary procedures.”
The NHS website says that everyone who is concerned about the symptoms of cervical cancer should see their doctor.
Visit Jasmin's Gofundme here.
