The #LoveYourCervix social marketing campaign launched in March 2019, aiming to encourage uptake of smear tests in women aged 25 – 30, and to increase awareness of HPV.
The campaign draws on audience insight, with research showing embarrassment / body shame is a barrier to having a smear, especially among those we’re targeting.
#LoveYourCervix uses positive, empowering and honest language. With a strong focus on body positivity, we’re encouraging all women to love every part of their body – even the parts they can’t see – like their cervix.
Research from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust (January 2018) shows that the main barriers to having a smear are:
Take up of smear invitation:
Cervical Screening Wales (CSW) insight is that once a woman has had her first smear test she is more likely to stay in the system and attend subsequent invitations.
Based on audience insight, the target audience for the communications actions are women between 25 and 30 years old in Wales.
A literature search has been conducted looking at the evidence around communicating with women about cervical screening and their barriers for attending. The research shows that women prefer messaging to be honest about discomfort which may be experienced during a smear test, use familiar words rather than clinical words, and address the emotions involved in attending for a smear test.
Based on the research which shows embarrassment/body shame is a barrier, the call to action will be to #loveyourcervix by having your smear and embrace how no two vaginas are the same. This kind of messaging will resonate with the target audience who value breaking taboos and being seen as authentic.
Women in our target demographic are heavy users of social media so the uptake campaign will predominantly be delivered digitally. Content will be created which will appeal to the outlets our target audience engage with most, including Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, Buzzfeed, Twitter and Pinterest.
Traditional media relations will also be used to encourage uptake of smear tests in the eligible population, and emphasis key messages of the campaign.