Coronavirus (COVID-19) and cervical cancer

If you have been in contact with someone with coronavirus, or if you have the symptoms listed above, you should begin self-isolating:

• If you have symptoms, book a coronavirus test >
• If you live alone, you should self-isolate for 10 days. 
• If you live with other people, everyone in the household should self-isolate for 10 days. 

If you have cervical cancer and think you have coronavirus, contact your healthcare team at the hospital straight away. They will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.

If you can't reach your healthcare team, use the following online services:

• England >
• Scotland >
• Wales >  
• Northern Ireland >

Call 111 if you cannot find answers or get help online. If you do call, make sure you tell them about your cervical cancer diagnosis and any treatment you are having.

If you are currently having chemotherapy, you are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus. You should follow the advice from your healthcare team and the national guidance where you live.

How does chemotherapy affect my risk of coronavirus?

Chemotherapy can stop the bone marrow from making enough white blood cells. White blood cells are part of your immune system. This is the system that gets rid of illness and infection caused by viruses like coronavirus. A weaker immune system means it may be less able to get rid of coronavirus.

What should I do to reduce my risk?

You should follow the guidance where you live if you are currently having chemotherapy. 

You may prefer to limit your contact with other people, for example by asking family or friends to get food and other essentials, like medicines, for you. You may also choose to use online delivery services. 

Should I still go to chemotherapy appointments?

You should continue to attend chemotherapy appointments at the hospital. It is important to follow the advice of your healthcare team and keep going to these appointments unless they have told you not to go. 

Your healthcare team would not ask you to continue coming to the hospital unless it was the best thing for your health. If you are worried about attending your appointments, speak with your healthcare team. They will be able to talk you through what is happening with your treatment and why. You can also ask them about any extra steps you or the hospital can take to reduce your risk.

Will my chemotherapy treatment be changed or delayed?

Your healthcare team may want to limit the amount of time you spend at the hospital. They may suggest:

• delaying your treatment
• changing how often you have treatment – so you visit the hospital less 
• changing to oral chemotherapy – tablets that can be taken at home
• changing to a different treatment.

These decisions are being made to keep you as well as possible, while also protecting you against coronavirus.

You should be kept informed about any options that are being considered, so you have a full understanding of the situation and can give consent. If you are worried, speak to your healthcare team. It may help to prepare some questions before the call. We have a list of suggested questions in our blog about the impact of coronavirus on people having treatment.

Read our blog >

If possible, it may be useful to have someone else on the call with you, so they can listen, take notes or help with any questions.

We know that having treatment delayed or changed, or the possibility of that happening, is distressing and we want you to know that we are here for you during this difficult time. Our services, including our free Helpline on 0808 802 8000, are open and ready to support you.

What is my risk if I have previously had chemotherapy?

If you previously had chemotherapy, your immune system should have built back up and be more able to get rid of the virus. This means you are considered less at risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus. However, you should still follow the national guidance where you live.

In previous government guidance, people who had chemotherapy in the last 3 months were included as higher risk. However, as the guidance has been redefined and different measures have been put into place, those people are no longer considered to have the greatest clinical risk. 

If you are worried, it is best to speak with your healthcare team to get advice specific to your situation. If you cannot contact your healthcare team, try to get in touch with your GP by phone. 

If you are currently having radiotherapy or brachytherapy, the treatment alone does not put you at high risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus. But it is important to follow the national guidance where you live and get specific advice from your healthcare team.

How does radiotherapy or brachytherapy affect my risk of coronavirus?

Radiotherapy and brachytherapy usually don’t have a big impact on the immune system. If you have recently had radiotherapy or brachytherapy and aren’t feeling completely back to normal, remember that everyone needs time to recover and heals at a different pace. If you are worried, speak with your healthcare team.

What should I do to reduce my risk?

You should follow the national guidance where you live, unless your healthcare team have advised you differently. 

Should I still go to radiotherapy or brachytherapy appointments?

You should continue to attend radiotherapy or brachytherapy appointments at the hospital. It is important to follow the advice of your healthcare team and keep going to these appointments unless they have told you not to go. 

Your healthcare team would not ask you to continue coming to the hospital unless it was the best thing for your health. If you are worried about attending your appointments, speak with your healthcare team. They will be able to talk you through what is happening with your treatment and why. You can also ask them about any extra steps you or the hospital can take to reduce your risk.

Will my radiotherapy or brachytherapy treatment be changed or delayed?

Your healthcare team will talk to you about any changes or delays to your treatment. Before making any decisions, they will look at your risk if treatment is delayed and your risk of being exposed to coronavirus in the hospital. Some treatments may also be delayed because of pressure on the NHS. 

If your treatment continues as planned, your healthcare team may want to limit the amount of time you spend at the hospital. They may ask you to wait elsewhere and text you when it is time for your treatment to start. They will also ask you to come to appointments on your own, to lower the risk of spreading coronavirus. 

If you are worried, speak to your healthcare team. It may help to prepare some questions before the call. We have a list of suggested questions in our blog about the impact of coronavirus on people having treatment.

Read our blog >

If possible, it may be useful to have someone else on the call with you, so they can listen, take notes or help with any questions.

We know that having treatment delayed or changed, or the possibility of that happening, is distressing and we want you to know that we are here for you during this difficult time. Our services, including our free Helpline on 0808 802 8000, are open and ready to support you.

What is my risk if I had previously had radiotherapy or brachytherapy?

If you previously had radiotherapy or brachytherapy, you are not considered at high risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus. However, you should still follow the national guidance where you live.

If you are worried, it is best to speak with your healthcare team to get advice specific to your situation. If you cannot contact your healthcare team, try to get in touch with your GP by phone. 

If you have recently had surgery or are due to have it, the treatment alone does not put you at high risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus. But it is important to follow the national guidance where you live and get specific advice from your healthcare team.

In this information, surgery includes LLETZ, cone biopsy, trachelectomy, hysterectomy, pelvic exenteration and any lymph node removal. 

How does surgery affect my risk of coronavirus?

Surgery itself doesn’t usually have a big impact on the immune system, but you are more likely to pick up infections while you recover. Because you would have the surgery in hospital, and possibly stay there to recover, your healthcare team will keep you updated about any risk and take steps to protect you.

If you have recently had surgery and aren’t feeling completely back to normal, remember that everyone needs time to recover and heals at a different pace. If you are worried, speak with your healthcare team. 

What should I do to reduce my risk?

You should follow the national guidance where you live and any specific advice from your healthcare team if you have recently had or are due to have surgery.

Will my surgery still happen?

Your healthcare team will talk to you about any changes or delays to your treatment. Before making any decisions, they will look at your risk if treatment is delayed and your risk of being exposed to coronavirus in the hospital. Some treatments may also be delayed because of pressure on the NHS. 

If your treatment continues as planned, your healthcare team will also ask you to come to the hospital on your own and not to have visitors while you are there, to lower the risk of spreading coronavirus.

If you are worried, speak to your healthcare team. It may help to prepare some questions before the call. We have a list of suggested questions in our blog about the impact of coronavirus on people having treatment.

Read our blog >

If possible, it may be useful to have someone else on the call with you, so they can listen, take notes or help with any questions.

We know that having treatment delayed or changed, or the possibility of that happening, is distressing and we want you to know that we are here for you during this difficult time. Our services, including our free Helpline on 0808 802 8000, are open and ready to support you.

Many clinical trials were stopped or have been adapted due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is because of pressure on the NHS, as well as the risk of taking part in clinical trials. 

If your clinical trial adapts, they may move to doing things remotely. For example, you may be asked to have follow up appointments remotely or to pick up medicines in locations away from the hospital. Speak with your healthcare team to find out what is happening with your clinical trial.

If your clinical trial is testing a chemotherapy or immunotherapy treatment, you are considered at higher risk of coronavirus. Your healthcare team will take this into account when deciding when to continue the trial. If you unsure what to do, speak with them for advice and follow the national guidance where you live. 

We know that having a clinical trial stopped, or the possibility of that happening, is distressing and we want you to know that we are here for you during this difficult time. Our services, including our free Helpline on 0808 802 8000, are open and ready to support you.

If you are currently having fertility treatment or pursuing alternative ways to have a child, the coronavirus pandemic may have caused further difficulty at an already stressful time. We hope the information in this section helps, but if you would prefer to speak with someone or need emotional support, please call our free Helpline on 0808 802 8000.

Fertility treatment and coronavirus

Fertility clinics are currently open. They will have safety measures in place to protect your health and that of its staff. Please contact your clinic if you have any questions or concerns, as they will able to advise you.  

Read the latest updates >

Adoption and coronavirus

If you are in the process of adopting, it is best to speak with your adoption agency. Decisions on whether to pause or proceed with adoptions are currently being made on a case-by-case basis, so your agency will be able to advise what is happening with your case and what, if anything, you need to do. 

If you have adopted and are worried about what the coronavirus pandemic means for your family, Adoption UK have lots of helpful guidance on their website. You can also give our free Helpline a call for emotional support on 0808 802 8000.

Read more at Adoption UK >

Surrogacy and coronavirus

If you currently planning or have progressed with surrogacy, it is best to contact your healthcare or midwifery team. They will be able to give advice specific to your situation. You may know that pregnant women are considered extremely vulnerable to coronavirus, which will understandably be worrying, but you can support surrogates to follow national guidance where they live. Surrogacy UK have more information on their website that you might find helpful. You can also give our free Helpline a call for emotional support on 0808 802 8000.

Read more at Surrogacy UK >

Access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and appointments related to menopause may be affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Visit Women’s Health Concern >

If you are currently on HRT

You may be used to having HRT check-up appointment to see how you are responding to the medication. Instead of an in-person appointment, you may be offered a virtual appointment by phone or video call. If your appointment is delayed, it is still important to let your GP surgery if you are having problems with your HRT.

Read about virtual appointments >

You should be able to request repeat HRT prescriptions as you usually would. Try to leave plenty of time for your order to be processed as it may take longer. If you do not have a repeat prescription, you can call your GP surgery and ask for one. 

If you are waiting for HRT or are changing your HRT

If you are waiting for an HRT prescription, or are changing to a different type of HRT, you may experience more of a delay because your GP would usually see you for an appointment. If you are unsure what is happening with your HRT, it is best to call your GP surgery and ask. They will be able to explain what is happening with your medication and why.  

Menopause clinics

Some NHS menopause clinics are running a telephone service instead of seeing patients in person. If yours isn’t and you choose to use a private provider, make sure they are registered with the British Menopause Society. 

Visit the British Menopause Society website >