The NSW Government has awarded 11 Cervical Screening Community Engagement Grants totalling $1.6 million to improve screening rates in priority populations.
South Coast based health advocate COORDINARE is among the recipients.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with more than 70 per cent of cases occurring in people who have never been screened or are not up to date with their cervical screening.
The grants were awarded by The Cancer Institute NSW to develop tailored solutions to increase cervical screening in under-screened populations which include Aboriginal communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and LGBTQ+ communities.
Organisations will use the grants to develop culturally appropriate education, increase training for staff and identify priorities and tailor action plans to better reach groups who are under screened.
A Cervical Screening Test every five years is the best way to prevent cervical cancer. It’s recommended for eligible people aged 25 to 74 who have ever been sexually active and is available at a range of locations, including medical centres, community health centres or sexual health clinics.
A quick and simple swab the test looks for a common infection called human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes almost all cervical cancers. Eligible people should have the screening test, even if they have had the HPV vaccination.
There are now two, equally effective options for doing the test, one is to have a healthcare provider collect a sample, the other is for people to collect their own sample, in private, at a medical centre, or at home if preferred.
