Dr Jason Wu: Hi I’m Dr Jason and today I’ll be talking about Cervical cancer screening.

In 2016 there were 259 deaths caused by cervical cancer. We now know nearly all the cases of cervical cancer are caused by a particular virus called HPV.

We now have a test that can detect HPV, it has replaced the old pap smear test, and is now called the Cervical screening test.

In terms of the way the sample is taken it’s still the same, but now it’s every 5 years, instead of every 2 years. Research has found this new technology is just as safe for every 5 years.

I highly recommend the test because it can help save lives.

Dr Sira Tagerd: Hi I’m Dr Sira and today I will be talking about cervical screening. It’s a very simple and short procedure, a little uncomfortable, but not as painful as people think.

In Australia it is recommended women between 25 to 74 years old have cervical screening.

Let me explain more about the procedure. When we look at the female organs, there is the vagina which is the opening that goes through to the cervix. The cervix is the end of the womb of the lady. What we do is take a little smear from the cervix.

For the procedure, the patient lies on the bed, we use a small speculum, with some gel to make it more comfortable. We put the speculum through the vagina and open up a little to see the cervix. We then use a brush to take a little sample from the cervix, put the sample into a bottle and send it off.

It often takes less than 1 minute to finish the whole process.

The result usually takes 1-2 weeks to come back, so I recommend patients rebook so we can make sure a reminder is made on the system for 5 years time. Because 5 years is a long time, it’s easy to forget the next cervical screen.

And if you have any problems down below, such as bleeding, spotting, pain or if you are unsure, talk to your doctor and we can arrange cervical screening earlier.

As a doctor I encourage you to have regular cervical screening done.

Receptionist Sarah: If you would like to learn more about cancer testing, please see us at reception to book an appointment.