A NEW leaflet designed to cover health and social well being issues has potentially saved the life of a young woman in the Redditch community.
The leaflet, which was produced for Redditch’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, grew out of a realisation by a borough council Task and Finish Group that certain sections of the community weren’t aware of the services available to them or were omitting to have health checks because they didn’t realise they too were at risk.
The leaflet, funded by grants from county councillors Stuart Cross, Graham Vickery and Andy Fry, was the result and is packed with information and advice to help Redditch’s LGBT’s community.
And now it has potentially saved the life of a Redditch resident who booked a cervical screening after reading the leaflet.
The woman in question, who wishes to remain anonymous, arranged the screening with her GP and unfortunately the test results came back showing the presence of some abnormal cells.
But thanks to the fact that the cells were found early, she has been told they can be treated.
Councillor Joe Baker who piloted the project said: “They caught it just in time thankfully. I have also heard a couple of reports that bisexual men in the community have arranged to have a free Hepatitis B injection.”
It’s welcome news for Coun Baker who only last year urged the town’s LGBT community to take advantage of the free health checks on offer in the borough.
And Coun Baker credits The Standard with helping to point the town’s residents in the right direction by reporting on the leaflet from it’s days as a mere idea to its distribution just last month.
He added: “It’s great to see how positive articles can have a positive affect on the community.”
