Briggs supports Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative & Unionist MSP for Lothian, is supporting Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s call for action to increase cervical screening uptake rates. Cervical screening uptake is now at a 10-year low in Scotland, and more women each year are being diagnosed with cervical cancer. Miles has lodged a series of Parliamentary questions on the subject asking the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase screening rates.
Commenting today Miles, who is also Co-Convenor of the Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Cancer, said:
"It is of real concern that more than a quarter of eligible women in Scotland did not attend cervical screening last year. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35 and is also increasing in women over 50. Screening is extremely important in detecting cervical abnormalities and women can receive effective treatment before cancer develops. We need to redouble efforts to raise awareness about the importance of cervical screening and I am proud to support Cervical Cancer Prevention Week and commend the good work being undertaken by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.
“I have tabled a series of written Parliamentary questions on this subject and look forward to the Scottish Government’s response”
Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “We have one of the best cervical screening programmes in the world which saves approximately 5,000 lives a year across the UK. However, the number of women attending their screening is at a 10 year low in Scotland. If we do not increase investment in prevention we will be faced with more women facing the physical and psychological cost of cervical cancer, increased burden on the NHS and state, and more lives lost.”
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust (www.jostrust.org.uk) is the UK’s only charity for women dedicated to women affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities. Their vision is a future where cervical cancer is a thing of the past. The National Helpline is on 0808 802 8000.
Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from 22-28 January and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is launching their enormously successful cervical screening awareness campaign #SmearForSmear at 11am on Sunday 22 January. The campaign asks women (and men) to share smeared lipstick selfies with the message “Attend your smear test, reduce your risk of cervical cancer”. www.jostrust.org.uk/smearforsmear
