Cervical Screening is for Everyone With a Cervix
13 Jul 2023
Thorne Harbour Health and Cancer Council Victoria have joined forces to protect LGBTIQ+ Victorians from cervical cancer, with new research finding that LGBTIQ+ Australians are less likely to participate in cervical screening than non-LGBTIQ+ Australians.
The new research from La Trobe University using data collected in 2019 showed that only 58 per cent of surveyed LGBTIQ+ Australians had done a Cervical Screening Test in the previous two years. Among transgender men with a cervix, participation was found to be as low as 38.9 per cent.
The reasons why these groups don’t screen as often as they should include people thinking they don’t need to screen, feeling embarrassed or frightened and fearing homophobia or transphobia. The fact is, all LGBTIQ people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 74, need cervical screening every five years to reduce their risk of cervical cancer, no matter who they have had as a sexual partner.
To help address this issue, Thorne Harbour Health and Cancer Council Victoria have launched their latest Public Cervix Announcement campaign, featuring the stories of five Victorian LGBTIQ+ ambassadors from across the community. In a series of candid interview videos, ambassadors share their experiences with cervical screening and raise awareness of the new self-collection option, which lets people collect their own sample at a clinic, using a small swab.
To meet our ambassadors and to learn more about self-collection click here.