Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Resources

For patients

You can provide these resources to patients to help them before, during and post screening. See the full resource library.

Before screening appointment

During screening appointment

Post screening appointment

Visual guide on understanding Cervical Screening Test results

For health care providers

You can use these resources to prepare for an appointment with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman:

Collecting self-identified status data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds (PDF, 70 KB)
An introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health cultural protocols and perspectives (PDF, 3.8 MB) – The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Limited.

Considerations

Compared to non-Indigenous people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are more likely to:

develop invasive cervical cancer
die from cervical cancer.

We have limited data on Indigenous women’s participation in screening. Studies suggest participation in cervical screening is 18% lower for Indigenous women than for non-Indigenous women.

It’s likely that the higher incidence and mortality from cervical cancer among Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander women is linked to:

under-screening
late detection of pre-cancerous lesions.

Barriers

There are general barriers that people face in participating in cervical screening. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women face extra barriers relating to:

shame, fear and embarrassment about cervical screening and cancer
distrust of healthcare providers, mainstream providers and government services.
lack of culturally sensitive and appropriate health services.
lack of Indigenous and female healthcare providers.
negative cultural perceptions about cancer – for example fatalistic and superstitious attitudes
perceptions of cervical screening as unnecessary
lack of access to health services due to distance, remoteness and transport.
limited knowledge or awareness of the importance and benefits of cancer screening.
prioritisation of family needs before their own health
lack of Indigenous-specific, culturally relevant educational resources (e.g speaking posters, as very few local Central Australian languages are written or read)
history of sexual assault
language and literacy barriers.

Ways to engage

The strategies below are effective in engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in cervical screening.

Strategy	Details
Cultural safety training	Cultural safety training for healthcare providers and practice staff will help to build an understanding of culturally-based attitudes towards: disease the importance of culture and tradition women’s business.
Culturally safe environment	ensure that your health service is culturally safe – including culturally appropriate, easy-to-understand resources and Indigenous art. employ Indigenous staff, especially females, as doctors, health workers, nurses, receptionists or liaison officers.
Service flexibility	offer mobile screening services to Aboriginal communities, flexible appointments, group transportation and/or transportation assistance. offer opportunistic screening where possible.
Choice of provider	provide opportunities for women to choose between male/female, healthcare provider, Indigenous/non-Indigenous cervical screening providers. healthcare providers could refer patients to health services that are more acceptable to perform cervical screening (for example, an Aboriginal medical service).
Choice of screening method	offer the choice of either self-collection or clinician-collection screening options. explain the pros and cons of each option, including follow-up requirements if HPV is detected on a self-collected vaginal sample. consider offering home-based self-collection (e.g. via a telehealth consultation) where appropriate. If clinician-collection is chosen, it may be helpful to consider: some patients may prefer to insert their own speculum and it can be helpful to offer this option. providing instructions on calming and deep breathing techniques can also help the patient to relax. a prescription of vaginal oestrogen cream before the appointment can decrease pain or discomfort for post-menopausal patients. provide a mirror in case the patient wants to view their own cervix.
Appropriate communication	healthcare providers should use clear and respectful language. provide information in the Indigenous community about services offered. let the patient know that the appointment is private and confidential. patients can bring a relative or friend with them to help them feel more comfortable. patients can ask for a female nurse or doctor.

Date last updated:

10 March 2026

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