AN Alexandra Hills mum who survived cervical cancer is urging other women to get checked for the condition.
Danielle Hayes, 32, says she let seven years slip between pap smears after the birth of her son in 2012.
She had mistakenly believed Gardasil vaccinations had protected her from developing the cancer until heavy bleeding, pelvic cramps and pain during sex forced her to visit the doctors.
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"It's like getting the flu," she said. "Some women cannot fight this flu and you're stuck with it for rest of your life. It (can) grow and spread and turn into cancer."
Gardasil vaccinations can help prevent females from contracting the human papillomaviruses responsible for more than 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases.
Tests confirmed that Dani had developed the cancer caused by HPV-type 16.
She was forced to have an urgent hysterectomy in January that left only her ovaries intact and now must visit the doctor every year for checks until her 75th birthday.
Dani says she was never told about the importance of having regular pap smears every two years to detect the cancer in its early stages.
The former beauty pageant contestant was a fit and healthy mum-of-two who had never worried about the condition. She had considered the vaccines as a fail-safe against the disease.
Dani has since begun supporting the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation's free education program for schools. The organisation sends out experts to teach teen girls about cervical cancer and its prevention.
"They say that you need to have sex to get cervical cancer but the truth is, you don't," she said.
Dani has also tapped into her pageant networks to host a Redlands baby pageant that will raise funds for the foundation.
The Bayside Baby Pageant will be at Redlands Multi-Sports Club at Birkdale on Saturday, July 6 from 9.30am to 3pm.
Dani says babies to children aged up to 11 years could compete, with plenty of prizes up for grabs.
She says she previously entered her three-year-old daughter Asha in baby pageants that were hosted as fundraisers and was delighted by how positive other parents were.
"You are not just giving to a great cause, you are meeting mums, single mums and dads," she said.
Donations to enter are $50 for one child, $80 for two and $130 for three.
To register, visit the pageant's page at facebook.com/BaysideBabyshow.