Where you can get a Cervical Screening Test
You can get a Cervical Screening Test at different places Australia-wide, including:
- a doctor’s clinic
- a community health centre
- a women’s health centre
- a family planning clinic
- a sexual health clinic
- an Aboriginal Medical Service or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.
Who can do a Cervical Screening Test
A healthcare provider facilitates the Cervical Screening Test. Providers can include:
- a doctor or general practitioner
- a nurse trained in cervical screening
- a gynaecologist or other specialist
- an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner or Worker (in some states and territories).
If you prefer, you can ask for a female health professional to do your test.
If you are eligible for a Cervical Screening Test, you have the choice to either:
- collect your own sample from your vagina using a simple swab (self-collection)
- have your healthcare provider collect a sample from your cervix using a speculum.
Talk to your doctor, nurse or health worker about which option is best for you.
How to book a Cervical Screening Test
Contact your GP or health care provider to check if you're due or overdue for a Cervical Screening Test. If you’re due, make a booking with them.
If you don't have a preferred health care provider, use healthdirect’s service finder to help you find a provider.
You can also check if you’re due via the Participant Portal (by linking to your myGov account) or by calling the National Cancer Screening Register:
National Cancer Screening Register
Costs for the Cervical Screening Test
There is a Medicare rebate for the Cervical Screening Test.
Under routine screening, you can have a Medicare rebated test every 4 years and 9 months. If you come back before you are eligible for your next screen, you cannot claim the Medicare rebate. You also might be charged a fee for the test.
Healthcare providers
If your healthcare provider chooses to bulk bill your service, there should be no cost to you.
However, some healthcare providers do charge a consultation fee higher than the Medicare rebate and you will pay a gap payment fee.
Pathology providers
There is a Medicare rebate pathology providers can claim for processing a Cervical Screening Test. Most pathology providers bulk bill the cost of testing, so you should not have an additional fee for this.
Your healthcare provider should check the box on the pathology form to bulk bill Medicare.
Sometimes, pathology providers may send you an invoice for processing your test. You should pay this invoice and then claim the relevant Medicare rebate. The rebate might not cover the full cost of the pathology provider’s charges. If this occurs, you have been charged a gap payment fee.
If you receive an invoice but didn’t know there would be a gap fee, you can contact your healthcare provider to ask about the charges.
You can choose your own pathology provider, regardless of which pathology request form your doctor uses. In some cases, your healthcare provider may request a specific pathology provider do the tests for clinical reasons.
When booking your appointment
It’s best to check if there are any extra costs from your healthcare provider or their chosen pathology provider when making your appointment. For example, you can ask:
- Am I due for my Cervical Screening Test?
- Do you bulk bill cervical screening consultations?
- Can you send my pathology requests to a laboratory that doesn’t charge a gap fee (i.e. a pathology provider that bulk bills)?
Information for people without a Medicare card
If you do not have a Medicare card, you can still get a cervical screening test. This will incur a cost as you will not be able to claim the Medicare rebate under the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
Once you have had a Cervical Screening Test and for as long as you remain eligible, you will continue to be invited/reminded to screen. You will need an Australian postal address to receive invitations and reminders.