A new campaign to promote cervical screening will run for five weeks from 8 February.

It is aimed at women aged 25-35, who are from lower socio-economic groups and areas of low uptake, and will use digital channels, such as Facebook, and cinema advertising.

Uptake of cervical screening is lowest amongst 20-30 year olds. Screening is generally not seen as a priority for many young women. Fear, pain and embarrassment are also common.

The campaign will start breaking down the barriers women have to attending, and educate them on the benefits of taking part in cervical screening when invited.

Primary care colleagues can help by ensuring that staff are aware of the campaign and its timings in case eligible women in GP practices enquire on the back of the campaign.

They can support the campaign by displaying posters or campaign visuals in waiting rooms. Materials will be made available at www.getcheckedearly.org/resources and a primary care toolkit will be available from 30 January at www.healthscotland.com/cervicaltoolkit. A printed version will also be sent directly to your practice prior to the campaign launch.

You may choose to hook any activity in your practice, using the toolkit, onto the campaign period when it’s more likely to be on women’s radars. Alternatively, your activity can happen at any point during the year.

The campaign aims to:

• Raise awareness of the benefits of cervical screening
• Encourage women to attend when invited
• Empower women who missed their last appointment, or who have never been screened, to contact their GP practice to book an appointment
• Generate chat on the topic of cervical cancer/screening amongst younger women.