4. To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to increase the uptake of screening for early diagnosis of cervical cancer. (S5F-01963)

Cervical screening saves around 5,000 lives a year and prevents up to eight out of 10 cervical cancers. We have invested in a national campaign to promote screening generally, and £5 million of funding from our cancer strategy has been invested in our screening programmes, including cervical screening, to encourage those who are eligible to take up their invitation. We are also supporting the work of charities such as Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to increase awareness of screening and address the barriers. To enable that charity to extend its reach, we are funding its new outreach service, which targets women who are less likely to attend. Thanks to cervical screening and the human papillomavirus vaccination programme, cervical cancer is now preventable, and that is a good thing.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women aged under 35, yet a recent survey by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust found that more than three out of five—some 61 per cent—of those women are unaware that they are in the most at-risk age group for the disease. A quarter of eligible women aged 25 to 64 do not currently take up their invitation to have a smear test, and the figure rises to one third among 25 to 29-year-olds. The reasons behind that are largely to do with self-consciousness and embarrassment.

Are any measures being taken to reduce the stigma that seems to surround cervical screening, especially among younger women? Does the First Minister agree with the health secretary that, quite simply, screening saves lives?

The First Minister:

I absolutely agree with that. We know that there are barriers to women accessing cervical screening. Those barriers include fear, pain and, often, embarrassment. As a woman, I not only understand those concerns but identify with them. It is important that we continue to talk to each other and support and encourage each other to understand the importance of screening.

At a Government level, to help to overcome those barriers, as I said a moment ago, we are investing in a high-profile awareness-raising campaign to generate conversations about the issues. We are also supporting local activities in communities to open up a dialogue about cervical screening, to help women to fully understand why the test is so important and to make it the norm for women to attend when appointment letters are issued.

We will continue to raise awareness and will work to address the stigma, as taking up screening is, for many women, nothing short of a matter of life and death.