Ballarat residents have been encouraged to take advantage of a new cervical cancer screening test in Cancer Council Victoria's latest campaign.
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Eligible women and people with a cervix have been called to make the most of the less invasive self-collection option, which will be widely available from July 1 2022.
Self-collection is currently accessible to those aged over 30 who are overdue for a Cervical Screening Test by two years or more or have never been screened and do not have symptoms.
For women who may have experienced abuse in the past, or physical discomfort, or some disability, it's a much more comfortable option for them.
- Sandy Anderson, BADAC nurse
Cancer Council Victoria screening program manager Kate Broun said the campaign's aim was to stress the importance of cervical cancer screening.
The campaign will promote the availability of the self-collection test to the cohort who may be putting it off or unaware of their eligibility.
"The test is free, easy to do yourself and reliable," Ms Broun said.
"We are urging Victorians to take advantage of this opportunity to prevent cervical cancer and protect their future.
"If you think you could be eligible for self-collection, don't wait until July next year, speak to your GP or nurse today."
Self-collection has been available to under or never screened women and people with a cervix since 2017.
But according to the Medical Journal of Australia, there has been a low uptake with only 1067 tests conducted in Victoria by April 2019.
Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-Operative nurse cervical screening provider Sandy Anderson said the self-collected cervical screen's availability through research projects at her organisation had almost doubled the uptake among BADAC's patients.
"Women who [have had] an examination traditionally with a speculum, [have found] it's a very invasive process," she said.
"For women who may have experienced abuse in the past, or physical discomfort, or some disability, it's a much more comfortable option for them."
Ms Anderson said the federal government's announcement to make self-collection screening universally available next year will also be of great benefit to culturally diverse populations.
"That will remove the conditions which currently exist to access the self-collection, and it will increase the number of women who are screened, which is what we aim for," she said.
