Petition to lower smear test age in Wales handed in

Jessica and Julie Bradford said they plan to petition Downing Street as well as the Welsh government

A woman diagnosed with cervical cancer at 18 has handed a petition to the Welsh government calling for the screening age to be lowered.

Jessica Bradford, now 19, from Rhymney Valley, has about 106,000 signatures calling for smear tests to be carried out from the age of 18.

Women in Wales used to be tested from 20 but that was raised to 25 in 2013.

Miss Bradford's diagnosis came after doctors told her she was "too young" to have the disease.

Instead, she was told she had bacterial infections and then a sexually transmitted infection.

Miss Bradford said because she had received preventative injections at school, cancer had not crossed her mind until she searched for her symptoms online.

Jessica Bradford is in remission and is setting up a hairdressing business

She has received five rounds of chemotherapy, 30 of radiotherapy, and three internal radiotherapies and has been in remission for two months.

She and her mother Julie Bradford, 43, divided signatures between two petitions and plan to give the second to Prime Minister David Cameron.

"I'm back on track now," said Miss Bradford.

"But people don't think at age 20 you could have any sort of cancer. You wouldn't think of it.

"Just keep an eye on your body. You know when something is wrong and go straight to the doctors."

'So emotional'

The treatment means Miss Bradford, who is engaged to her partner, will not be able to carry her own children but will be able to use her frozen embryos with a surrogate.

Mrs Bradford added: "It's really hard. Jessica is stronger than me, I was in bits.

"She so wanted six children, wanted to be a mother. This is so emotional watching her go through everything.

"I have met so many mothers who have lost their children and they are all very young, from 29 down.

"Jessica had only just turned 18 when she was diagnosed and the cancer was really aggressive. So this is for other people, where early prevention can be key."

Public Health Wales said the screening ages were based on the "best available evidence" about when tests should be undertaken, but that women concerned about symptoms should contact their GP.