YOUNG women in the region are being reminded of the need to go for their smear tests.
It comes as figures show a lower uptake among Dumfries and Galloway’s younger age groups recently.
Health officials believe it could be due to the perception that having the HPV vaccination completely eliminates the risk of developing cervical cancer.
They are now planning a campaign to get their message across.
And they also want to remind all women aged 25-64 to take up their invitation for cervical screening, following a drop in participation since 2018.
Numbers undergoing a smear have been falling in Dumfries and Galloway, as it has been in Scotland, over the last few years.
However, this region still compares well and in 2021-2 had the second highest coverage nationally, with the figures for last year due in May.
