At present, women in England are not invited for the test until the age of 25
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A bereaved family are taking a petition to Downing Street this week urging for the screening age to be lowered
Kate Winstanley died in August, leaving behind a son. Her family will make a visit to Downing Street this week, to hand in a petition calling for the screening age to be lowered from 25 to 20 years of age.
Women in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently screened at 20, but the screening age in England was moved up to 25 in 2003.
Miss Winstanley, from St Helens in Merseyside, died 10 months after being diagnosed with the disease.
Her brother Ian Atherton said: “She felt bitter that she didn’t have the chance to save her own life.
“If the Government hadn’t raised the screening age from 20 to 25 in 2003, she could have had the opportunity to have the smear test, and could have caught it.
“She would have had two years from 20-22 to catch this disease, and actually be able to survive.”
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