Teenage girl was told she had an STI after doctors failed to diagnose cancer because they thought she was too young.

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A teenager was told by doctors she had a sexually-transmitted infection - only to later find out she had cervical cancer.

Hairdresser Jessica Bradford, 18, feared she had cervical cancer after looking up her symptoms online - but her doctors said she was too young.
But tests showed she had the disease - and she has been told she will never have children due to the radiotherapy treatment she is receiving.
Her mother Julie, 42, said: 'Jessica had some bleeding and other symptoms so she went to see the doctor straight away.
'At first they thought it was thrush and gave antibiotics, then they said it was a bacterial infection.

'After that they thought it was a sexually transmitted disease.

'She went back to the doctors about five times. They thought it couldn't be cervical cancer because of her age.'
But after a series of tests, scans and biopsies doctors confirmed the teenager's worst fears.
Jessica is one of the youngest women in Britain to be diagnosed with cervical cancer - women are not normally scanned for it until they are at least 20.
But Jessica and her mum, also a hairdresser, are now campaigning for the age to be lowered in the hope that other teenagers could be diagnosed early.
Brave Jessica is juggling a college hairdressing course with her cancer treatment at a specialist hospital.

 

She is doing well but was left heartbroken when doctors said the treatment had left her infertile.
Mum-of-three Julie said: 'She has been so upset about that because she loves children.
'But having radiotherapy destroys the womb so it has completely ended her chances of having children.'

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The 18-year-old hairdresser from Rhymney, South Wales, pictured with mother Julie, is now fighting the disease

Jessica is continuing to go to hairdressing college during her five-week course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy at Velindre Hospital in Cardiff.
Julie said: 'Jessica is strong minded and she is positive. I am really proud of her.'
Jessica said: 'I am determined to get through this, finish my studies and open up my own hair salon.
"But my other goal is to raise awareness about the importance of spotting symptoms and going to see a doctor early. I also think they should reduce the age for smear tests to 18.'
'My advice is just go to see a doctor soon as you get the symptoms and don't stop until they give you a definite answer.'

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