Chamber and committees

There is no one definitive way to protect women who are over 65 from the effects of HPV infection. However, evidence shows that measures such as stopping smoking and undertaking good sexual health practices can help reduce the risks associated with it. Education and information is therefore a vital tool – not just to protect women from HPV, but to improve overall health outcomes.

The Scottish Government is developing a Women’s Health Plan. An early action from the plan was to develop a women’s health campaign, which launched on 1 February 2021, and includes information about sexual health and contraception for women of all ages, including specific links to sexual health advice and support for older women. In addition to this general campaign, we will continue to work closely with third sector organisations such as Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, to ensure that messaging around HPV and cervical cancer targets a range of demographics, including women over the age of 65.

It should also be noted that most people who become infected with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) clear the virus from their body without any intervention. However, we also recognise that persistent HPV can result in some cancers – for women, the most common of these is cervical cancer.

That’s why we also continue to work to protect women from the effects of HPV through our cervical screening programme with women aged between 25 and 64 invited for regular screening. We know that those aged 65 and over who regularly participate in and are discharged from the programme are unlikely to develop cervical cancer.

Finally, as part of our long term efforts to prevent HPV-related cancers, in Scotland, the HPV vaccine is offered to every S1 pupil because the evidence now shows that it helps protect both boys and girls from HPV-related cancers.