Cancer Council Victoria is urging women and people with a cervix in regional Victoria to get up to date with cervical screening and protect themselves from cervical cancer.
Recent data from Cancer Council Victoria’s Victorian Cancer Registry, has revealed that females living in regional Victoria are 28 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer compared to those living in major cities.
Head of screening, early detection and immunisation at Cancer Council Victoria, Kate Broun, urged residents to check if they are up to date with cervical screening and to book in for a test if they are due or overdue.
“A Cervical Screening Test is the best way to prevent cervical cancer and needs to be done every five years by all women and people with a cervix aged 25-74, even if they’ve had the HPV vaccine,” Ms Broun said.
“Regularly participating in cervical screening can help to detect the virus called HPV that causes most cervical cancers. Cervical screening can help to find cancer early, or even find pre-cancerous cells that can be treated before a cancer develops.”
Australia recently marked five years since renewal of the National Cervical Screening Program, which included the introduction a newer more effective test and extension of time interval from two to five years.
In 2023, thousands of Victorians will receive an invitation from the National Cervical Screening Program to participate in cervical screening for the first time in half a decade.
Those who are due for a Cervical Screening Test will now have the option to self-collect their test.
Self-collection allows people to collect their own vaginal sample in a private space at the doctors or other health setting using a swab. It’s quick, easy and just as reliable as a sample taken by a doctor or nurse using a speculum.
Ms Broun encouraged anyone who has been putting off cervical screening to speak to their doctor or nurse about self-collection.
“In Australia, over 70 per cent of cervical cancers are found in people who have never screened or are overdue for screening,” she said.
“Doing this one quick test every five years could save your life. Now that there’s self-collection, you have a choice in how you protect yourself from cervical cancer.”
Regional Nurse cervical screening provider, Emily Grant said self-collection had opened a door for those who have faced barriers to accessing screening, including those living regionally or remotely.
“So often women and people with a cervix opt out of screening for various reasons; for those of us living regionally, there can be additional barriers to screening, like finding a health professional near you who you feel comfortable with”, she said.
“Self-collection helps to break down a lot of these barriers, by allowing people to choose what’s right for them and to do this important test themselves, in private, if they would prefer. It really is exciting.”
If you are due for a Cervical Screening Test, speak to your doctor or nurse about your options, including self-collection.
You can call Cancer Council Victoria’s experienced cancer nurses on 13 11 20 for further information and support.
Find out more about self-collection at www.cancervic.org.au/selfcollection, or search for a local provider who suits your needs on Cancer Council Victoria’s Cervical Screening Directory.
