A recent poll carried out by YouGuv on behalf of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust has revealed that the number of women undergoing cervical cancer screening test has reduced. The survey has found that in 2009, about 3.6 million women underwent the cervical cancer screening tests whereas in 2010, the number has dropped to 3.3 million.

Cervical cancer is caused by particular strains of a widely-circulating sexually transmitted virus known as the human papillomavirus (HPV).

The poll has found that four in 10 working women find it difficult to take out time to go for the screening test whereas, many women said that they were too embarrassed to ask for an off to go for the screening.

The charity has claimed that these cervical cancer screening test are mainly missed by the women aged between 25 and 34 years. If these women will undergo screening tests properly, it could save the lives of 5,000 women every year.

Figures reveal that every year, about 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 1,000 die due to the disease. One in five women dies due to the disease within a year of diagnosis.