OK ladies, this one’s for you. It might not be fun, but it has to be done: it's cervical screening. The mere mention makes us recoil, but it’s a very important screening test.
According to the National Cervical Screening Program monitoring report 2023, more than 5.2 million participants aged 25–74 were screened in 2018–2022. And in 2022, 10% of HPV tests performed were positive for HPV types that cause cervical cancer. Cervical cancer incidence and mortality remained low at 11 new cases and 2 deaths per 100,000 women, respectively.
What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is almost always caused by the presence of the HPV virus. HPV is a common virus that can cause changes to the cells in your cervix. If left untreated, in rare cases it can develop into cervical cancer.
An HPV infection will typically clear from the body in one or two years. A persistent HPV infection will take from 10 to 15 years to develop into cervical cancer.
Symptoms of cervical cancer can include unusual vaginal discharge, bleeding or pain during sex.
It is not clear what causes the rare forms of cervical cancer – these cancers cannot be detected by either the Pap test or the Cervical Screening Test.
Why get jabbed?
The HPV vaccination (most commonly given in school to teenagers) protects you from up to 90 per cent of HPV types that can cause several cancers. These cancers include anal, cervical, throat, penile, vaginal and vulval.
Girls and boys aged up to 19 can receive two doses in the upper arm for free as part of the National HPV Vaccination Program.
Vaccines are typically given to students in year 7 or 8, depending on your state or territory.
How often should I get tested?
You should have regular Cervical Screening Tests every five years between the ages of 25 to 74 years of age.
You still need to have the tests even if you are not sexually active or if you have gone through menopause.
If at any stage you have unusual vaginal bleeding, discharge or pain, see your doctor.
Your GP can perform the Cervical Screening Test for you, or a specialist like your gynecologist. For more information contact the National Cervical Screening Program on 131 556.