Wyndham women are being urged to do more to reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer, with new statistics revealing the city has one of the lowest pap screening rates in Victoria.
Cancer Council data shows that only 49.6 per cent of Wyndham women were screened in 2011-12, the latest year for which statistics are available.
The city had the third-lowest rate of screening in the state, behind Melbourne (45.7 per cent) and West Wimmera (47.7 per cent). The state average is 60 per cent.
PapScreen Victoria manager Hiranthi Perera said Wyndham’s large migrant population could be a factor in the city’s low screening rate.
“There is quite a high proportion of people living in Wyndham who were born overseas in countries where English is not the first language, so they might not understand the messages around screening,” she said.
“We have been doing a lot of work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities to increase screening rates.
‘‘One of the things we have done is ensure women access information in their own language.
She said there was a need to ensure that women who had had the HPV vaccine were not becoming complacent.
“We know 80 per cent of women who develop cervical cancer haven’t had regular screening.
‘‘That proves the effectiveness of the screening program.
“It might be embarrassing and awkward, but it’s a couple of minutes that could save a life.”
Details: www.papscreen.org.au
