‘A real gift to women’s health’: The Pap smear era is over. Enter the DIY test

Thousands of Australian women who had previously feared uncomfortable Pap smears and speculum examinations have now had cervical screening tests for the first time because of a new option to take their own swab in private.

The federal government expanded eligibility for a new self-collected cervical screening test in July 2022, resulting in a 25-fold increase in people doing their own tests.

In the past, some people have avoided a potentially life-saving cervical screening test with a doctor because they had suffered sexual violence or trauma, had cultural objections, or had a bad experience with a test in the past.

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Source: The Sydney Morning Herald