There are multiple ways your client can check if they’re due or overdue for a Cervical Screening Test, including:

• contacting their doctor or nurse 
• calling the National Cancer Screening Register (1800 627 701)
• accessing the National Cancer Screening Register's online participant portal.

If your client is due, they can book their test with their doctor or nurse at a GP or women’s health centre, Family Planning Australia clinic, Aboriginal Medical Service, or other Aboriginal health services.

The Cervical Screening Test is free for women and people with a cervix. However, if your client’s doctor or nurse does not bulk bill, they may charge a small fee. It's important that your client asks about the cost of their Cervical Screening Test when booking their appointment.

The Cervical Screening Test is done in private. Your client can choose:

• where to do the test—at a GP or women’s health centre, Family Planning Australia clinic, Aboriginal Medical Service, or other Aboriginal health services
• how to collect the sample—a nurse or doctor can do it, or they can do it themselves
• to ask for a female doctor or nurse
• to ask for someone who isn’t their usual doctor if that makes them more comfortable.

Whatever they choose, the test only takes a few minutes and is completely safe even when pregnant. 

When your client arrives for their Cervical Screening Test, the nurse or doctor will take them to a private room. 

They’ll talk about the test and explain what it involves.

When your client is ready, the nurse or doctor will ask the person to: 

1. remove their clothing from the waist down and lie on their back
2. bend their knees apart. 

They’re usually offered a sheet for privacy.

When they’re comfortable the doctor or nurse will then:

1. gently insert a speculum into their vagina (this helps them clearly see their cervix) 
2. collect a small cell sample from the cervix using a soft brush.

Your client may feel some discomfort, but it should not hurt. If they feel any pain, they should tell the nurse or doctor.

They can tell the nurse or doctor if they’re feeling worried or scared. Doctors and nurses perform the test all the time and can support them to feel more comfortable.

Your client can also take a support person along, such as a family member or friend.

View our 8 tips to make cervical screening more comfortable >

A self-collected sample is just as safe, effective and accurate as a sample collected by a doctor or nurse. It involves a vaginal swab that is looking for the presence of HPV.

When your client arrives for their Cervical Screening Test, the nurse or doctor will:

• talk to them about the test and explain what it involves
• hand your client a self-collection swab
• show your client to a place where they can take their own sample in private.

Once your client has taken their sample, they return the swab to the plastic tube. They give it to the doctor or nurse who will send it off to the laboratory for processing.

It's safe for your clients to wait until 25 for their first Cervical Screening Test and here's why:

• Cervical cancer is rare in women younger than 25.
• HPV is the cause of almost all cervical cancers. Most young women are protected against the main cancer-causing types of HPV through the HPV vaccine.
• When young people have a HPV infection, their immune system will naturally clear it up and the infection will not cause harm.
• After more than 30 years of cervical screening, the data shows there is little benefit to screening young women that would outweigh the potential risks related with follow up procedures.

Your client’s doctor or nurse will explain how they’ll get their results. 

The sample is sent to a lab to check for HPV. 

If HPV isn’t found in their sample, their next Cervical Screening Test will be in 5 years. Most people will get this result.

If HPV is found, it doesn’t mean they have cervical cancer. Their doctor or nurse will let them know if they need to:

• have another test in 12 months to check that the HPV infection has cleared 
• be referred to a specialist straight away for further tests or treatment.

It’s important for your client to follow their doctor’s or nurse’s instructions for any further test or treatment.

If your client has any symptoms, such as unusual bleeding, they should see a doctor straight away rather than waiting for their next Cervical Screening Test. 

Cervical cancer usually has no symptoms in its early stages.

Encourage your clients, of any age, to talk to their doctor as soon as possible if they experience symptoms including:

• unexplained vaginal bleeding, for example, bleeding after sex or bleeding at any time after menopause
• unexplained persistent vaginal discharge
• unexplained persistent pain during sex.

These are symptoms that need to be investigated. They're not specific to cervical cancer and could be caused by other conditions, which is why your clients need to talk to their doctor as soon as possible.

HPV is a very common infection that most people will have at some point.

It’s transmitted through any type of sexual activity.

HPV usually clears up on its own within 1 to 2 years.

In rare cases, if HPV infection doesn’t clear up it can cause cells to change.

If left untreated, these cell changes can lead to cervical cancer but this process takes around 10 to 15 years.

Having the HPV vaccine before becoming sexually active protects against the main types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers.

Regular Cervical Screening Tests are still important for people who have had the vaccine. That’s because the vaccine doesn’t protect against all types of HPV.

Find out more about the free HPV vaccination program for girls and boys aged 12 to 13 through the schools-based National HPV Vaccination Program.

When women know about cervical screening, they’re more likely to encourage and support each other to get a Cervical Screening Test.

You have an important role to play in encouraging Aboriginal women to have regular Cervical Screening Tests. You could:

• Start a yarning session for women to talk about cervical screening and make them feel safe and comfortable to ask questions.
• Let women know there’s a new less painful, shameful, and embarrassing option called self-collection. It is equally as effective as the other test, and they can do the test themselves using a vaginal swab in private but still at the health clinic.
• Ask a Women’s Health Nurse or another health professional to come along to a yarning session to show the cervical screening equipment to help women know what to expect at an appointment.
• Remind women just one Cervical Screening Test every five years can save their life.
• Remind women that cervical screening is an important part of living a healthy life.
• If you run 715 health checks with clients – remember to ask women over or near 25 years of age about their cervical screening status. See the RACGP site for 715 Health Check templates that cover cancer screening status.

There are multiple ways your client can check if they’re due or overdue for a Cervical Screening Test, including:

• contacting their doctor or nurse 
• calling the National Cancer Screening Register (1800 627 701)
• accessing the National Cancer Screening Register's online participant portal.

We've designed and collated resources to help you promote cervical screening with your community:

• Top recommended cervical screening resources – a selection of recommended resources to support you in encouraging cervical screening participation.
• Practical tools for having a yarn – downloadable and printable resources we've created to help guide your conversations about screening and hand out to community.

Being told you have cancer is a scary and confusing time for people. Knowing what to do next, who might be able to help and where to get easy to understand information is important for both the individual, their family and you as a support person.  

Here are some trusted websites that talk about a cervical cancer diagnosis, treatment options, treatment side effects, the sharing of cancer stories and getting further support:

• All about cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Cancer Council NSW) - cancer information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Our Mob and Cancer (Cancer Australia) - a website developed for mob, by mob to help find information about cancer, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, living with cancer and much more.
• Canrefer (Cancer Institute NSW) - a site that helps find recommended cancer specialists, hospitals and cancer care teams in your area.
• Cancer treatment side effects: A guide for Aboriginal Health Workers (Cancer Institute NSW) - a guide to help you support your clients going through cancer treatment by learning more about the different types of cancer treatments, their side effects and when to seek help.