Women in the Hunter region are being urged to undertake a Cervical Screening Test after reports found more than one million women across Australia are overdue to undergo a test.
The chief cancer officer and health officer have joined forces with Cancer Council NSW and Family Planning NSW in an attempt to get the message of a new cervical cancer test across to women.
A Pap test can help reduce cervical cancer deaths by at least 20 percent as early detection can help save lives.
A Pap test is supposed to be taken every 5 years after the age of 18 in order to detect the human papillomavirus which may cause cervical cancer.
Women are being encouraged to make an appointment with their general GP to discuss the new Cervical Screening Test and to book a test.
Program Manager for Cervics HPV Group at the Cancer Council NSW MEGAN SMITH says women are encouraged to book a test with whichever provider they feel most comfortable with.
"In the Hunter New England Region there's been about 57% of women who had a screening test in the last two years, and about 60-61% in Newcastle specifically have been screened in the last two years.
"So that means there is about 40% of women in those areas who are due now for their cervical screening test. They can book a test with their usual doctor or with a sexual health clinic."
She also believes the new test will allow for the detected of cervical cancer to be done sooner.
"The program today is changing to a new and more accurate test that will help better prevent cervical cancer. The first test that will be done is a test for HPV or human papillomavirus, and that's the virus that causes virtually all cervical cancer.
"This new screening will pick it up and it will pick up changes at an earlier stage than the current screening test does".
Megan Smith has a general message for all women which urges "that if there is anything unusual... that you're worried about, you should go see a doctor because those symptoms should get checked out regardless of how old you are and how long its been since you've last been screened".
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