New Cervical Screening Method

Cervical screening tests are critical in the early detection of cervical cancer. It is currently recommended that all women and people with a cervix aged 25-74 years old, who have ever had any sexual contact, should have regular cervical screenings.

A CST is a quick procedure where a medical practitioner will check the health of your cervix by swabbing your cervix and taking a sample to be sent for screening at a laboratory. The test is looking for the presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause cervical cancer. The CST has replaced the Pap smear, it is only required every five years and provides better early detection of cervical cancer.

The introduction of the self-collect option from the 1st of July will give patients the choice of self collection or clinician collection. We know that some groups are less likely to screen, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people who identify as LGBTIQ+, people with disabilities, people who experienced sexual violence and post-menopausal women. This new self collection method for cervical screening is a less invasive option which we hope will encourage people to screen regularly.

We aim to prevent cervical cancer by improving awareness of and access to the choice of screening methods now available.