A Belmont mother is encouraging other women to continue regular cervical screening following a new Cancer Council Victoria campaign.
The In Your Hands campaign launched on March 4 to increase awareness of cervical screenings, with hundreds of Victorians, like Abbey Jane, diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.
Ms Jane is a mum of three and was diagnosed with the highly preventable cancer last year at age 43 after experiencing abnormal vaginal bleeding and other unusual symptoms.
“As soon as the doctor said, ‘you have cervical cancer’, my world just fell away,” she said.
“The trauma of such a diagnosis and treatment is mentally and physically debilitating, not to mention devastating for your family and friends.
“I’m lucky that I was able to find my cancer early and have it treated, but I could have avoided the diagnosis and the months of treatment if I had kept up to date with my cervical screening.
“I think of this as my own personal smear campaign. If there is a health test you are due for and putting it off, don’t. Early detection and prevention is the best weapon against cancer.”
Cervical screening tests should be completed every five years by people aged 25 to 74 with a cervix to better prevent cervical cancer, according to the National Cervical Screening Program.
The option for people to self-collect their cervical screening tests using a small swab was made available to everyone eligible for cervical screening in July 2022.
Cancer Council Victoria head of screening, early detection and immunisation Kate Broun said the screening test could find people at risk of cervical cancer before it developed.
“It does this by looking for the very common virus that causes almost all cases of cervical cancer, human papillomavirus or HPV,” she said.
“Preventing cervical cancer really is in your hands. If you’re due or overdue, book in today and ask your doctor or nurse about self-collection. It could save your life.”
Visit cancervic.org.au/cervical for more information about the In Your Hands campaign and cervical screening.
