Sir Gavin Williamson has become a Target Ovarian Cancer Champion and recently attended an event to support a cross-party parliamentary group on ovarian cancer.
Sir Gavin has called for greater awareness of the common symptoms of the disease, which takes the lives of over 4,000 women in the UK each year. Sir Gavin has pledged to continue working with the charity and has promised to support campaigns to improve early detection. This largely involves educating women about symptoms such as persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, and feeling full.
March is Ovarian Cancer awareness month, an initiative which hopes to place ovarian cancer in the spotlight and educate people about the disease. Research by Target Ovarian Cancer found that symptom awareness is worryingly low, with just 21 percent of women able to identify bloating as a symptom.
Sir Gavin said: “I’m dedicated to spreading awareness of this cruel disease, so that more women can be saved by early detection. Too often in healthcare spaces, women’s pain and discomfort is not taken seriously and this must change.”
