Channel 5's new women's health series is progress - so, why is ovarian cancer overlooked again?
15 August 2022
Tell Channel 5 what you think and get ovarian cancer on their agenda
Over the past week, Channel 5 has broadcast a much-needed series called Women’s Health: Breaking the taboos, that has explored difficult medical conditions such as endometriosis, menopause, painful periods and vaginal dryness. While we applaud this stance and direction, we have to ask - why is ovarian cancer being overlooked?
The show promised to focus on issues which women don’t talk about, don’t seek help and then suffer in silence. This is hugely important and vital. So why not ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer is the biggest gynaecological killer of women in the UK, because there’s no screening programme and we know so many women either don’t know what symptoms to look for or aren’t listened to, when they do. Women have a 90% chance of surviving for five years or more if diagnosed at stage 1, but only 33% of women are diagnosed at this stage.
We hear your stories every day on social media, in conversations with you and discover the devastating consequences of not talking about ovarian cancer, suffering in silence and women not seeking help. While it’s fantastic to see important issues for women raised on a high profile series, we’re naturally disappointed that an opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands of people with vital information about ovarian cancer has been missed.
So, we want you to email, tweet and tag Channel 5 to ask them if or when they’re going to be covering ovarian cancer. We’ll be right alongside you.
How you can help break ovarian cancer taboos
While we make our voices heard to Channel 5, we’re preparing our own myth busting campaign for Gynae Cancer Awareness Month, this September. Does cervical screening pick up ovarian cancer? is it a hidden cancer? do only older women get ovarian cancer? is it a silent killer? Some of our ambassadors and supporters will be addressing these myths through a set of raw, homemade videos, where their stories will break down why these myths are so dangerous, and why the truth could be lifesaving.
You can help us spread these stories far and wide and together, we can make faster progress and turn ovarian cancer into a survivable disease. Together, our voices will mean we won’t be overlooked anymore.
P.S To anyone at Channel 5 reading this
We’re delighted you want to raise awareness of taboos in women’s health. You’ve inspired us and we really appreciate your commitment to women and important issues. That’s why we, and thousands of women affected and concerned by ovarian cancer, have a pitch for you. It’s time to talk about ovarian cancer. Time to talk about how so few women know the symptoms, how so few women are diagnosed early, how only 46% of women with a diagnosis will live beyond five years. We urgently need your support, and you have the platform, the creativity and passion to make a difference.
Thank you.
#TimeToTalkAboutOvarianCancer
