Smear test rates have fallen in Brighton and Hove and remain the worst in the south east.
And health chiefs suspect that many who miss out on their tests are too embarrassed about their bodies.
The rate in Brighton and Hove fell to 68.6 per cent in 2016-17 from 69.5 per cent the year before.
NHS England said: “Brighton and Hove has the lowest take up rates for cervical screening in the south east as across the country screening rates fall to a 20-year low.
“Every day nine women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer and three women will lose their lives to the disease.
“Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35 but is largely preventable thanks to cervical screening and the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccination programme.
“But statistics show that the number of women aged 25 to 29 years of age being screened for cervical cancer is the lowest in any age group and numbers attending for screening are falling year on year.
“This year the first girls who were vaccinated against HPV are also eligible for screening as they reach their 25th birthday.
“Surveys undertaken by cancer charities indicate embarrassment and a lack of understanding of the causes of cervical cancer may be behind the fall in numbers attending.
“The number of women dying from cervical cancer has halved over the past 28 years as a result of the NHS screening programme as well as improvement in treatment.
“Despite this success over 5,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.
“Some of these women may have delayed coming forward for screening for a variety of reasons but treatment of early changes detected by screening can prevent women from developing cancer.”
Max Kammerling, consultant in public health medicine and head of the public health screening and immunisation team for Surrey and Sussex, said: “It is really important for young women to understand the importance of attending cervical screening as it can detect pre-cancer abnormalities, which, if left untreated, may develop into cancer.
“Screening is for people without symptoms as a preventative measure.
“The screening test is relatively simple, takes about five minutes and is performed by the practice nurse at your GP surgery.
“Ninety five per cent of results will be normal and of those that are not, the vast majority can be treated very easily and will never develop in to cancer.”
