WOMEN are risking their lives by not having vital cancer tests – because they are too embarrassed to visit a doctor.
Many are reluctant to have potentially life-saving exams such as cervical screening because they feel self-conscious and are afraid of the results, research has found.
Experts warn this increases the threat for women because gynaecological cancer is also difficult to detect.
a study into why survival rates in the UK are lower than other countries was carried out by researchers from the University of aberdeen.
they examined evidence on the diagnosis of gynaecological cancers, including of the ovary, cervix and womb, which account for some 20,000 cases a year and around 7,400 deaths.