THE Federal Govt has expanded eligibility for a new self-collected cervical screening test in Jul 2022, resulting in a 25-fold increase in people doing their own tests.
In the last financial year, many thousands of self-collected tests were done by people who had never been screened or were overdue for a test, reported SMH.
From 2018 to 2020, the participation rate for cervical screening was 68%, according to preliminary data by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Before July 2022, self-collected cervical screening tests were available to only a limited number of people.
About 70% of the 800 women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Australia annually have never undergone a cervical screening test or were overdue for one, according to the Federal Health Department.
However, Professor Marion Saville, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer, said technology advancements had made it possible to offer a self-test to anyone eligible for screening, as such tests are now just as accurate as those done by a doctor.
"Of course, acceptability is not going to be 100% with self-collection either," Saville said.
"But it is the best tool we've had in more than 20 years in my time of working in this program [to] really reach the people we need to reach," he added.
Those eligible for self-screening are women or people with a cervix aged between 25 and 74 who have had any type of sexual contact. JG
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