The last fortnight has been a very sad chronicle of Jade Goody’s gradual succumbing to cancer. Just two weeks ago she was married and it was shown on TV this week – real heartbreaking stuff wasn’t it. Then last week she and her two little boys were baptised in the hospital chapel and yes, I bought the copy of OK! magazine with the pictures of the event. Once again, really heartbreaking…

Jade has copped a lot of criticism for the way she has chosen to go so public with her decline, but I am with Jade on this one, and have totally applauded the way she has allowed the spotlight of the media to shine on an issue that most of us – women – would rather not think about at all…that missed pap test and the possible consequences.

Be honest, no woman looks forward to getting one done, in fact, if you are like me you have probably waited for the flimsiest excuse to come up so that you can cancel your appointment and ‘leave it until another day’. I’ve done it and so have plenty of other women.

Maybe it has made alot of people feel very uncomfortable being confonted with photos of a deteriorating Jade Goody on the front pages of every national newspaper for the past month, but for all the whining cynics, it has had an amazing effect on the numbers of young women suddenly making appointments – and keeping them – to have long overdue pap tests done. A number have even reported that they had been found to have abnormal cell results – tests that were only done because Jade has been brave enough to say “Look at me, this is what can happen – don’t let it happen to you”.

Jade has left a legacy that has changed the lives of many, many women. You may not like Jade for whatever reasons you have but you have to admire her courage in the face of her own death – and thanks to her there are women now who wont have to make the decisions that Jade has had to make.

The test takes 2 minutes out of your life – get it done girls.