Have you shared a Pearl of Wisdom with someone you love yet?

European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is running from 24-30 January and CervicalCheck is encouraging mums aged 25 to 60 to make smear tests a priority.

We know it’s hard for mums to put themselves first, but in Ireland, approximately 300 women in Ireland are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year and over 90 women die from the disease.

The best weapon we have to fight cervical cancer is our national screening programme. The service is completely free for women over 25 and the test itself only takes a few minutes to complete – a small price to pay for something that could save your life.

If you can’t remember when your last smear test was, you can visit CervicalCheck.ie to find out. You can check when your next test is due, locate your nearest test provider or even change personal details.

If you’ve never had a cervical smear test and aren’t sure if you’re registered, it takes seconds to sign-up on the site. All of these services are also provided on Freephone 1800 45 45 55.

To promote European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, CervicalCheck are giving out beautiful pearl brooches – or Pearls of Wisdom – to women in Ireland. If you’d like to claim a pin to wear yourself or to give to a loved one, call Freephone 1800 45 45 55.

And if you use Twitter or Facebook, why not post a photo of yourself wearing your Pearl of Wisdom or take a selfie with the person you gave it to – just remember to use the hashtag #sharethewisdom? Let your friends and followers know how important it is to have regular smear tests.

It only takes a few minutes and could save your life.