This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week with MSPs at Holyrood having debated on the cervical screening uptake rates in Scotland.
Cervical screening is the best protection against cervical cancer preventing 8 out of 10 cervical cancers from developing, by identifying cell changes that could become malignant and treating them effectively.
Cervical screening rates in Scotland are in decline with uptake rates falling from 71% in women aged 25 to 49 in 2016/17 to 70.5% in 2017/18. Uptake rates fell from 77.4% to 76.8% across the Borders.
Uptake of cervical screening is lowest amongst younger women, which is particularly concerning as cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under the age of 35 in Scotland and the UK.
In Scotland, approximately six women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every week and this number has the potential to be reduced, if uptake rates for cervical screening are increased.
Jo’s Cervical cancer trust this week have launched their #SmearForSmear social media campaign to raise awareness of the purpose and importance of a smear test and to give advice to women to make going for a test less daunting.
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP, Rachael Hamilton said:
“The #SmearForSmear campaign is important for providing support and advice, as well as acting as a reminder to women to book their test.
“More needs to be done to encourage women to go for a smear test to reverse this worrying trend, however this campaign will definitely help.
“Uptake rates of cervical screening are slightly declining in the Borders therefore I encourage any woman who is overdue a test to arrange one with their GP.
“We all have a role to play in understanding the importance of the tests and addressing the worries women have around smear tests, to improve the uptake rates of cervical screening and reduce the number of women in Scotland who are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year.”