National strategies to prevent cervical cancer

85% of women in Australia who develop cervical cancer have either not had preventative screening or have not done so at the recommended intervals (ie are underscreened). Overseas migrants from the subcontinent, have much lower participation levels of cervical screening compared with Australian born women

Women aged 25–74 years, who have ever been sexually active, are now offered a cervical based HPV test every five years (both the HPV vaccinated and unvaccinated group).

This new Cervical Screening Test (CST) is expected to protect up to 30% more women against this disease compared to the pap smear test, used previously.

More information is available via the National Cervical screening program video resource

Symptomatic women need to have a timely diagnostic based work up to establish the absence of any underlying malignant or pre malignant condition.

Here is my recent interview with SBS Hindi CST Interview Uppal a Hindi based resource for that culturally and Linguistically Diverse population, highlighting the benefits of cervical screening and encouraging the community to embrace both the HPV vaccination as well as the new CST to reduce cervical cancer cases.

Let’s make cervical cancer the small pox eradication story of our generation!