‘Easy, private, and game-changing’: Leading healthcare organisations unite for national cervical cancer awareness campaign
Four of the country’s leading health organisations have come together as part of an Australian Government-funded campaign to improve cervical screening rates and eliminate cervical cancer in Australia.
More than 70% of cervical cancers occur in people who have never screened, according to the Australian Government, and Australia is working to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancers by 2035.
Routine screening every five years has been described as “crucial” for early detection and prevention for women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25-74.
However, on its journey to zero, the Government has found that some community groups are screening at lower rates than others. Women and people with a cervix from First Nations, multicultural, LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as those with disability, are less like to do their potentially life-saving screening test.
The new Government-funded campaign, ‘Own It’ campaign draws on the expertise of four organisations — the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer (ACPCC); the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO); HIV and LGBTQIA+ organisation ACON; and the Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative — to focus on these under screened communities, raising awareness of Australia’s “world-leading” HPV self-collect tests, which help overcome barriers to screening.
“The Albanese Labor Government is determined to be the first in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, we’ll get there by making sure no one is left behind,” said Labor MP Ged Kearney.
“Self-collection is key to achieving that goal as it will help us screen women who have previously refused or resisted screening – be it through cultural safety, inaccessibility or preference. The quick and simple swab is easy, private, and game-changing in getting more women screened.”
According to the Australian Government, in the first half of 2024 alone, nearly 20,000 first time screeners opted to self-collect – as did 37,500 over-due screeners.
The campaign tells the real-life stories and experiences of 16 women and people with a cervix from these under screening communities, in a bid to encourage others.
Leaders of the four organisations described the campaign as innovative, significant, and vital, and have said they’ve already seen changes in the confidence of healthcare providers to offer the self-collection tests to patients.
They said the campaign will help screening become more accessible, more culturally sensitive, and will ensure women and people with a cervix will be able to take control of their health and wellbeing.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the agency beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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topics
ACON
Albanese
Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer
Australian Government
Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative
cervical cancer
Ged Kearney
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
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