Pregnant Sinead Tinker received distressing news last night, when a routine baby scan ended up with the expectant mum discovering something more sinister.
On Wednesday (3 October), the Corrie resident and her fiancé Daniel attended a 12-week scan and were thrilled to see their baby on the screen.
Read more: Coronation Street’s Ryan Clayton – aka Josh Tucker – thanks fans as he confirms exit
However, when Daniel left the room, viewers saw Sinead seize the opportunity to tell the sonographer about her recent bleeding.
Referred for a more in-depth examination, an obstetrician then revealed that they’d found a worrying lump on Sinead’s cervix.
Read more: Coronation Street SPOILER: Sinead Tinker will die if it means saving her baby’s life
She’s told she needs further tests as the lump could be cancerous and she may need radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
In heart-wrenching scenes, they also asked her to consider having a termination…
As the shocking news sank in, factory worker Sinead decided NOT to tell Daniel – worrying it might send him off the rails.
After watching the upsetting scenes, Corrie fans questioned the current law and called for the smear test age to be lowered to 18.
When the nurse asked Sinead if she’d ever had a smear test, she replied that she hadn’t as she is only 24.
At the moment, all women who are registered with a GP are invited for cervical screenings between the ages of 25 to 49 and repeated every three years.
In the US, the age limit starts at 21.
Well done @itvcorrie raising awareness of cervical cancer! Show's the age NEEDS to be lowered #Corrie 🙌🙌
— Shelley ✨ (@ShelleyBrenna15) October 3, 2018
@itvcorrie proving that the age for smear tests needs to be lowered ASAP. 18+ #CoronationStreet #Corrie
— Vicki (@Vicki___XX) October 3, 2018
#corrie isn’t this a wake up call to lower the age of a smear test!?
— cheyenne (@thelilmechanic) October 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/JustJen_xo/status/1047745134383779840
Making out sinead cervical cancer is about not getting vaccine how about highlighting getting smears done at earlier age like it used to be shame on you #Corrie
— linda (@lindafraser852) October 3, 2018
The doctors told Sinead smear tests only start when you're 25 – over here it's 25 OR once you become sexually-active. Is it not the same in the UK? #corrie #coronationstreet
— Caroline (@Cazlou1980) October 3, 2018
Sorry sinead you aren’t too young to get cervical cancer my niece got diagnosed with the disease at the age of 21 #Corrie
— ❤️❤️FIONA❤️❤️ (@sadlerfiona21) October 3, 2018
One fan wrote: “Well done @itvcorrie raising awareness of cervical cancer! Show’s the age NEEDS to be lowered.”
Another said: “@itvcorrie proving that the age for smear tests needs to be lowered ASAP. 18+.”
A third agreed, typing: “Isn’t this a wake up call to lower the age of a smear test!?”
In 2009, health minister Ann Keen declared there would be a review of the age limit for cervical cancer testing after the death of high-profile reality TV star Jade Goody.
She announced that a panel of experts would consider whether women under 25 should be offered smear tests.
Big Brother star Jade was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008 and died of the disease at the age of just 27.
Heartbreakingly, the mum of two died on Mother’s Day in March 2009.
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