Funding for cervical cancer campaign

Shoppers on Scotland’s high streets and retail parks will learn about the symptoms of cervical cancer in a nationwide campaign this summer.

The £100,000 ‘Be Cervix Savvy’ campaign will tour Scotland from mid-June, with volunteers from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust raising awareness of the signs of the disease.

The Scottish Government is funding the campaign as part of the its £100 million Cancer Strategy to improve prevention, detection, treatment and survival rates.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said:

“We are making inroads in tackling cancer but we need to go further and develop innovative approaches that ensure everyone can get the information on screening they need, and raise awareness of the symptoms of cancer.

“Cervical cancer is largely preventable and screening is the best way to protect against the disease, yet one in four Scottish women still don’t get their regular smear tests.

“That is why this campaign is so important and will help us to catch cancer at the earliest stages.”

Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said:

“We are delighted that the Scottish Government has funded us to bring our hugely successful Be Cervix Savvy Roadshow to Scotland.

“Starting in June and travelling over five weeks, we will  be speaking to women across Scotland about how they can reduce their risk of cervical cancer. In particular, we hope to save lives by focusing on areas where cervical screening uptake is especially low.”

Background:

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to women affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities and ran a successful UK wide ‘Be Cervix Savvy’ Roadshow in 2017.

The campaign will launch on 18 June 2018 and run for five weeks, visiting Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow. There will also be further locations in Fife and Lanarkshire too.

Jo’s is now looking for volunteers to join the roadshow and talk to people who come on to the unit who may have questions, have concerns or just want some information.