I WAS delighted to be able to meet with Chief Executive Rob Music and the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Team at Holyrood.

During Cervical Cancer Prevention Week from 20th to 26th January, I have been calling on everyone across Fife to know how they can reduce their risk of the disease and to educate others.

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s award-winning #SmearForSmear campaign is currently in its sixth year and for 2020, they want to combat the myths that exist around cervical screening and HPV.

This year the cervical screening programme will be changing to test for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) first, as testing for HPV is far more accurate.

Whilst this test is estimated to prevent almost 500 diagnoses of Cervical Cancer in the United Kingdom every year, it is a much more sensitive test. Its accuracy means that more women will be told that they have HPV, so I and the Trust want them to feel informed and comfortable on receiving their results.

It is important that woman do turn up for appointments as it can save lives.

Cervical Screening in Scotland is on average 73.1%, which is well below the 80% target, with NHS Fife recording just 73.7% in 2018/19. This means that around 1 in 4 women did not attend when invited.

I fully support Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, as well as their #SmearForSmear campaign and I call on every woman from across The Kingdom to take the test when invited to do so; it really does save lives.

ALEXANDER STEWART,

Shadow Minister for Local Government.