We all know the discomfort of waiting for a medical test. Too many of we Australian women don’t have a regular Pap smear test. In fact, up to 12 per cent of Australian women have never been screened for cervical cancer.
Only 61 per cent of women aged 18 to 69 are currently screened every two years as recommended.
Now the Federal Government has announced the Pap smear will be replaced by a new test for the human papilloma virus (HPV) from December 1.
Pap smears are used to detect pre-cancerous cellular changes and has been used as part of the National Cervical Screening Register since 1991.
Now every five years under the new program, after you have had the new test the program changes to a five yearly human papillomavirus (HPV) test for women aged 25 to 74.
It’s based on a new understanding of the role HPV plays in the development of cervical cancer.
There are over 100 different types of HPV, but not all are associated with cervical cancer – types 16 and 18 are the two most commonly linked to the disease.
So how will it change your regular Pap smear?
A change for the better
Having the test will be the same for most women with cells scraped from the cervix. But the new testing technology can determine if a cancer-causing type of HPV is present.
Women who test positive for higher risk types of HPV will be referred for further tests while those with a medium risk can have a second test 12 months later.
For the women who test negative, they can go away reassured their chance of developing cervical cancer is very low.
This is good news. It should also improve screening rates for women who have never had a Pap smear and are most likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Never-screened or under-screened women will be allowed to take a vaginal swab themselves and have it sent for testing. While less accurate, it means women who may have avoided Pap smears in the past – sometimes because of cultural issues or sexual abuse – can now be tested.
With over 90 per cent of cervical cancer cases caused by HPV, it really is a lifesaver.
So from December 1, women aged 25 and over who haven’t started cervical screening will be invited to have the new test. For women already on the Register, you are still on the two-year cycle and will be sent a reminder about your next test and also warned if you are overdue.
After the new test is clear, you move to the five-year cycle. If you have symptoms such as unusual bleeding, discharge and pain, speak to your doctor immediately.
You can find out more about the changes to cervical cancer screening here.
