A WOMAN left unable to have children because of cervical cancer, after she put off a routine smear test, has warned others not to make the same mistake.

Mel Davies ignored a doctor's letter inviting her to go for screening and delayed the simple examination for 18 months.

The 32-year-old was devastated when she finally booked a smear test appointment and the results showed she had cervical cancer.

She had to have a hysterectomy operation, to remove some of her reproductive organs, and now she can never have children.

She has decided to speak out to mark the start of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week today, telling other women: "Don't make the same mistake as me."

Figures revealed to the Derby Telegraph show that 7,268 city women aged under 40 ignored letters inviting them to go for cervical screening last year – about 25% of those eligible.

This was an increase from 2010, when 5,819 women ignored the letter.

Mel, a mental health nurse, said she believed that if she had gone for the test straight away her cancer could have been caught at a much earlier stage.

She said: "I just think that if I'd gone for the smear test when they sent for me then they would have picked up on the pre-cancerous cells a long time before.

"You always think you have other things to do, or you can't find time. But I would tell every woman to just go and have the test – don't make the same mistake I did.

"I think women don't like to go for the test because of the embarrassment. It's not nice and it is uncomfortable. When I speak to some people, they say they think 'what's the point?'

"I find it so frustrating that some women are still ignore smear test letters. Two minutes of discomfort can save your life."

Mel was 29 when she started bleeding after being intimate. It was her only symptom of the cancer.

She said: "I thought to myself, 'there's something not right'. So I went to see my GP and booked myself in for a screening test.

"If I hadn't had any symptoms I wouldn't have made the appointment for the test at all."

Mel, who lives in Holbrook with partner Russ Montgomery and dogs Max and Eddie, was called for a second test when the first showed she had abnormal cells.

After a biopsy she went to see a consultant at Royal Derby Hospital, who told her she had cervical cancer.

"I couldn't take it in," she said.

"When the doctor said those words, looking back now, it all seems so surreal. It didn't feel like it was me going through it.

"Telling my family was the worst bit. My mum was on holiday at the time and it was hard waiting for her to come back."

Mel was booked in for hysterectomy surgery, to remove her womb and cervix, which got rid off all of the cancer. She did not need chemotherapy treatment.

At the time, she had just begun a relationship with Russ.

Despite only being together for a few months, the couple suddenly found themselves having to discuss their future.

Mel said: "It was a stressful time because we were still in a new relationship.

"But Russ is fabulous. He's been my rock throughout all of it. I tried to put on a brave face but Russ always managed to make me laugh."

Mel was admitted to the Royal Derby Hospital for her surgery at the beginning of 2009.

"When I woke up after the operation, I was really upset," she said.

"It was about my fertility and about being a woman – you're on this earth to re-produce. It was quite a confusing time.

"I was petrified off going into surgery. I was thinking, 'What if I don't wake up?' It was a big operation. I remember lying on the operating table before having the anaesthetic being terrified."

The operation was a success and, not long afterwards, Mel was given the all-clear from doctors.

Despite having to have MRI scans for months afterwards, she is now back at work and living the life she had before her illness.

She still has to have appointments at the hospital but will be discharged when she has been free of the disease for five years.

"I'm only reminded that I had cancer whenever I look at the scar on my stomach from the hysterectomy," she said.

Now Mel is calling for all women to have a smear test as soon as they are called for it.

She said: "Three years ago, when celebrity Jade Goody died from cervical cancer, there was a lot of press about the disease and it encouraged women to go for the tests. But it's all faded now.

"We need to remind women how important it is. Just make the appointment."

Mel Davies volunteers for national charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, which is the only UK charity dedicated to women with cervical cancer and their families.

It offers information, support and friendship.

Among other things, the charity runs a helpline for anyone who has concerns or questions about smear tests or cervical cancer.

Mel is one of the volunteers who help man this phone line.

She said: "During my diagnosis and aftercare, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust was such a support to me.

"It's great to be able to talk to family and friends but sometimes you want to shelter them from even more worry. Someone on the other end of the phone who has had experience of cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities, who understands and who can point you in the right direction for more information, or even simply sit and listen, is so valuable.

"I'm pleased to be able to be there for others – just like the charity was there for me."

The helpline can be contacted on 0808 802 8000. More information can be found online at www.jostrust.org.uk.

CERVICAL cancer can affect women of all ages, but those aged between 25 and 40 are most at risk.

According to the NHS, many women who are affected did not attend their screening appointments.

Cervical cancer screening can detect abnormal cells, including pre-cancerous ones.

During the test, a sample of cells is taken from the cervix for examination.

Robert Music, director of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: "These new figures which show a decline in cervical cancer screening are a big concern. A downward trend is emerging which we need to reverse.

"Screening picks up abnormalities which can develop into cervical cancer.

"Particularly worrying is that nationally, more than 37% of women aged 25-29 have not been tested for more than three years as recent research shows cervical cancer rates among women in their 20s has risen sharply."

"We must find ways to encourage more women to take proactive steps to reduce their risk of cervical cancer by attending screening. It could save their life."

A vaccine against the HPV virus, one of the main causes of cervical cancer, was launched in 2008. It is now given to girls aged 12 and 13.

MORE WOMEN IGNORING SCREENING CALL

FIGURES released to the Derby Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act show that the number of women under 40 who have ignored invitations to go for smear tests in Derbyshire went up in 2011.

Nationally, one in five women do not respond to the letter.

Number of women under 40 eligible for cervical cancer screening:

Derby city

2011: 30,584

2010: 30,474

2009: 30,331

Derbyshire

2011: 59,397

2010: 60,388

2009: 61,176

Number of women under 40 who did not respond to letters:

Derby city

2011: 7,268

2010: 5,819

2009: 5,393

Derbyshire

2011: 13,289

2010: 10,409

2009: 10,409