About 800 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Australia each year, and about 80 per cent of these cases occur in women who have never screened or were not up-to-date with their screening.
Having regular screening tests is the best way to protect yourself.
Anyone eligible for a Cervical Screening Test under the National Cervical Screening Program now has the choice of screening either through self-collection of a vaginal sample using a simple swab or clinician-collection of a sample from the cervix using a speculum.
If you decide collecting your own sample is the best option for you, your healthcare provider will give you a swab and instructions on how to collect your sample. A self-collected sample is taken from the vagina (not the cervix). All you need to do is insert a swab a few centimetres into your vagina and rotate it for 20 to 30 seconds.
The sample can be taken in a private place within a healthcare clinic.
You should get a Cervical Screening Test every five years if you:
- are aged between 25 and 74
- have had any type of sexual contact (with any person, even of the same sex)
- are a woman / person with a cervix
Find out more about self-collection for the Cervical Screening Test