SINGAPORE: A new coalition consisting of celebrities and corporations hopes to get 18,000 women to take an online risk test to raise awareness about cervical cancer.

Currently, one woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer every other day, according to the Health Promotion Board.

But only 60 per cent of sexually-active women have gone for a PAP smear in the last three years.

That is lower than the 80 per cent experts say is necessary to reduce the number of cancer cases and deaths here.

In a PAP smear, cells of the cervix are collected to test for the presence of the cancer-causing Human Papilloma Virus.

If performed regularly together with vaccination, research shows the risk of cervical cancer can be reduced by two-thirds.

Cervical cancer is the sixth most common cancer here. Doctors say among the top 10 cancers, only cervical cancer can be prevented. - 938LIVE/vm