Member's statement: Ovarian Cancer
Member's statement by Ms Connie Egan on .
- MLA
- Ms Connie Egan
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 18 March 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Ovarian Cancer
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4860251
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I draw Members' attention to ovarian cancer, a disease that is continually overlooked, resulting in its symptoms and diagnostic pathways being incredibly misunderstood. March marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. In Northern Ireland, over 200 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year. Like many other diseases and conditions in women's health, ovarian cancer is subject to numerous assumptions and misconceptions about its diagnosis, symptoms and treatment. I recently met the team at Target Ovarian Cancer, which is working to change those views, and I learned a lot from the statistics that they told me about. They are staggering. Thirty-one percent of women in Northern Ireland who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer will not survive one year. Only 39% of women who are diagnosed here are diagnosed at an early stage. We all know that early intervention is vital to improving health outcomes, and some myth-busting is needed: 46% of women in Northern Ireland believe that a cervical screening will detect ovarian cancer; that is simply not true. I want to highlight the symptoms that every woman should look out for when it comes to early diagnosis of ovarian cancer: bloating, feeling full, pelvic or abdominal pain and needing to wee more often. I urge every Member around the Chamber today, and anyone who may be listening, to share the information on those symptoms with their loved ones and their communities. Finally, I thank one of my constituents, Stephen, who lost his wife, Julie, to ovarian cancer in June 2024. Every day, he campaigns to help women to ensure that they are aware of what he calls "the sneaky symptoms". I know that Stephen has contacted many elected representatives in the Chamber to put the issue on our agenda. He has ensured that I, as his MLA, am aware of the impact that ovarian cancer has and what more needs to be done. His efforts and determination in raising awareness are entirely commendable. He works to prevent any other family having to experience what he has gone through. I thank him and the many women and their families who have spoken out about their experiences of ovarian cancer to ensure that others in Northern Ireland have better health outcomes.
368 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.48 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.52 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.40 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.08 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.