Two campaigns are commencing in 2024 to promote cervical screening and the self-collection option for cervical screening. The campaigns will target women and people with a cervix who are from Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse communities and patients with a disability.
The DHAC expects the campaigns will lead to increased demand for cervical screening and particularly the self-collect option, which may be a more sensitive and acceptable option for under-screened patients.
Practices are encouraged to speak to their pathology labs and order self-collection swabs, so they are ready to offer their patients the choice.
As part of the campaign, several webinars are being offered to health care providers. The RACGP will be running webinars on optimising cervical screening for people with disability and supporting equity in your practice:
For the self-collection healthcare provider campaign, the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer (ACPCC) will be running two webinars in June with CPD points for GPs, nurses, midwives and other health care providers with an interest in cervical screening:
ACPCC also has CPD accredited online learning modules available as well as health care provider and consumer facing resources. More information is available from the ACPCC website.