I’ll be honest, the thought of getting my cervical screening test has never been something I’ve looked forward to. Not because I didn’t understand how important it was, but because the experience made me anxious. I’d wait until I could get an appointment with a female GP. I’d put it off when life got busy. And when I finally walked into the consult room, I would hold my breath until it was over.
Last year when I went in for my screening, instead of the usual procedure, my GP handed me a self-collect swab. It was simple. It was private. It took seconds.
And it completely shifted my view of cervical screening.
As Assistant Minister for Health, I’ve talked to lots of women across Australia, I know my story isn’t unusual. Many women delay screening because they feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or worried about the procedure. Sometimes we’re just not comfortable talking about our bodies and our health.
Some women have had traumatic experiences that make screening deeply confronting. These barriers are real, and for too long they have stopped women from participating in a test that saves lives.
Self-collect is a game-changer because it removes so many of these barriers. It allows women to screen on their own terms and as a new report released this week shows, it is already making an extraordinary difference.
The latest data from the Centre for Research Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control confirms that women who have never or rarely screened before are now coming forward because of self-collect. It is especially popular among community groups that have historically been under-screened, including First Nations women, multicultural women, LGBTQIA+ Australians, women with disability, and those living in regional and remote areas.
This isn’t just a matter of convenience. It is a matter of equity.
And equity is at the heart of Australia’s world-leading progress. The same report shows we are on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035. Cervical cancer rates continue to fall. For the first time since national reporting began, there were no cases in women under 25 in 2021. Survival rates are improving too.
These milestones didn’t happen by accident. They are the result of decades of vaccination, screening and public health leadership. But the report also highlights a warning: HPV vaccination and cervical screening rates have dipped slightly. Momentum matters and we cannot afford to lose it now.
That’s why the Albanese Government is investing in programs that make screening easier and more accessible. Our ‘Own It’ campaign, developed to raise awareness of self-collect among under-screened communities, has already increased awareness by 45 per cent in the groups most at risk. And we’re continuing to invest in strengthening participation, improving equity and helping more women access screening.
But for all the science, funding and policy work behind this effort, eliminating cervical cancer ultimately depends on one simple thing: women feeling supported and empowered to take part in screening.
That’s why I wanted to share my experience. If you’ve put off your test because it felt uncomfortable or confronting, you are not alone. Many of us have been there. Self-collect changed the way I approach my own health, and I want every woman to know that there is now an option designed with comfort and privacy at its core. Talk to your GP to find out if self- collect is an option for you.
We are closer than ever to making cervical cancer a disease of the past. But to finish the job, we need to keep screening rates up. If you’re overdue, please book in. Ask about self-collect. Talk to your family and friends. Sometimes a simple conversation or a small change in the way we screen, can save a life.