About 800 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Australia each year. Of these, about 80% typically occur in women who have never screened or were not up-to-date with their screening. You should get a Cervical Screening Test every five years if you are aged between 25 and 74, have had any type of sexual contact, and are a woman / person with a cervix.

That advice hasn’t changed for a while. What has changed is that most cervical screening participants now have the choice to self-collect their own Cervical Screening Test sample at a clinic like Temple Hills Medical Centre.

If you choose to self-collect, the doctor will give you a swab that you would take to our restroom. All you need to do is insert the swab a few centimetres into your vagina and rotate it for 20 to 30 seconds. It’s that simple. Sample collection by the doctor is still recommended if you have had abnormal bleeding (e.g., bleeding between periods) or if it is the next screening test after a colposcopy.

Whether or not you wish to self-collect, the appointment booking process is the same. Please call us and let us know that the appointment is for Cervical Screening and the receptionist will book you in for the correct length of time. Please discuss this with the Doctor if you have any further questions or concerns.