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Of the 1,055 smears obtained, one required further investigation
giving a rate of 0.95 per 1,000 examined.
With regard to carcinoma of the cervix uteri, there were 9
deaths recorded in the Borough during 1971 which gives a rate
of 0.04 per 1,000 population. This is 0.01 more than the rate for
1970 but it again compares favourably with that for England,
viz. 0.09.
Breast Examinations
No. examined 1,034
No. requiring further examination 8
Breast examinations decreased by 36.0% to a total of 1,034 for
the current year. Those cases requiring further investigation
numbered 8, i.e. six less than for 1970, equivalent to a rate of
7.7 per 1,000 examined.
With a total of 56 deaths, cancer of the breast produced a rate
of 0.26 per 1,000 population, an increase of 0.03 over that for
1970. The rate for England was 0.44.
Family Planning
All evidence points to the fact that, beyond a certain level,
overcrowding produces social breakdown and individual behaviour
becomes distorted. Moreover, dangers arising from maternal
exhaustion from too many pregnancies are self evident. When
one considers the serious problems of poverty, malnutrition, overcrowding,
disease and illiteracy, etc., the case for family planning
is unanswerable. Indeed, with our limited knowledge of genetically
determined disease it is the only sensible method of preventing
perpetuation of hereditary defects.
To be fully effective, family planning needs to be world-wide
for, with improving mortality rates and no corresponding limitation
of births it is true to say that as a species we are out of control.
Emergent nations are becoming progressively poorer by
reason of uncontrolled population growth, results of which can be
seen on the continents of Africa, Asia and South America and
this, despite prodigious practical and financial assistance from
richer countries.
However, a number of groups remain unconvinced of the need
for family planning, maintaining that there are untapped world
resources sufficient to support the expected population growth.
That such resources exist cannot be denied but, unfortunately,
there is always a "time lag" between the possible and the