This morning’s papers are filled with the news that Jade Goody’s cervical cancer has spread and her prognosis is poor.

Reality TV star Jade is just 27 and news of her initial diagnosis and the progression of her illness has highlighted the issue of cervical cancer in a way it has never been before. The reality of what it is like to live with the disease will be shown on Living TV in the upcoming fly-on-the-wall series Jade: The Next Chapter.

Part of what makes Jade’s situation so shocking is her age. As with Kylie Minogue and her diagnosis with breast cancer three years ago, cancer is not necessarily a condition associated with women this young. The statistics bear this out – incidence of breast cancer rises significantly in women over 50 and cervical cancer under the age of 30 is relatively rare.

These high profile cases do much to raise awareness among young women of the importance of regular checks. However, surprisingly, I’ve seen little mention about the importance of smear tests and why sexually active women should regularly have these in the acres of media coverage about Jade’s illness.

There’s also been little mention of the HPV vaccine. However, Jade’s situation surely demonstrates that the HPV immunisation progamme is a significant leap forwards in terms of public health.

When the vaccine was first mooted in the UK there were several people who feared it would promote promiscuity – one catholic school has banned girls from having the jab on its premises. Reading about Jade’s plight, it’s hard to see why anyone would not want their daughter to be vaccinated.

Jade Goody is not everyone’s cup of tea and some may criticise her decision to play out her illness in the media. But frankly I think it will do more to raise awareness about the importance of cervical screening and HPV jabs than any government ad campaign could ever hope to achieve.