New cervical screening options as part of ACON's "Own It" campaign a game changer.

The goal of a new campaign put together by ACON and the Cancer Institute NSW is to get more young women and people with a cervix in NSW to get screened for cervical cancer.

The Own It campaign was made for everyone with a cervix, no matter their gender, sexuality, culture, or ability. It gives people the power to make their Cervical Screening Test their own by choosing how to screen.

In Australia, people between the ages of 25 and 35 are less likely to take part in the national cervical screening program than people in other age groups. Recent research shows that just over half of women in this age group who have a cervix have ever taken a Cervical Screening Test. More than 70% of cervical cancers happen in people who have never been screened or who haven't had their screenings in a while.

Human Papillomavirus can now be found with the new Cervical Screening Test (HPV). If HPV is found, the test looks for abnormal cells that can be watched or treated to stop cervical cancer from happening. Also, you can now self-collect a sample for testing, which is a big deal for people who have never been screened or who are due or past due for a test.

“Own "We want to get the word out that there are ways to make the Cervical Screening Test easier for everyone with a cervix," said Karen Price, Deputy CEO of ACON. "We know that young people have to deal with problems. When it comes to cervical screening, these problems are often made worse by bias, fear, bad information, or trauma. People are really encouraged by this campaign to take charge of their experience, think about ways to make the test easier, and "own" their experience.

Some things that stop people from getting tested are bad experiences in the past, a history of sexual violence, cultural issues, a disability, or a lack of knowledge.

LGBTQ+ people can also face problems that are unique to them, such as the fear and experience of discrimination, heteronormative assumptions in medical settings, and feelings of gender dysphoria.

Price said, "The campaign is based on the real-life stories of people who have overcome barriers to cervical screening by choosing how their test is done." "The campaign encourages support and choices, such as using the self-collection swab, bringing a friend or support person, inserting the speculum themselves, finding a doctor they can trust, talking to friends and family, and educating themselves to counter misinformation."

Own It is the most recent of a set of cancer awareness programmes that ACON has made with the help of the Cancer Institute of NSW and as part of the CAN WE resource for preventing cancer.

Sarah McGill, who is the acting head of the Cancer Institute, said, "With regular screening, cervical cancer is now one of the most preventable cancers." "Cervical cancer killed more than 200 people in Australia last year, so I encourage anyone with a cervix to check if they're up-to-date on their screening and talk to their doctor or health care provider about their options, including self-collection."

This campaign shows that there are many different kinds of people in NSW who need to hear that getting a test can prevent cervical cancer. A lot of different kinds of people in NSW are involved in the campaign, such as First Nations people, people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and migrant backgrounds, and trans and gender diverse community members.

Own It will be a big deal in NSW. It will be on the back of buses, on posters, in print, online, on social media, and on the radio. The goal of the campaign is to reach as many young women in NSW as possible who have a cervix.

Price also said, "ACON thanks the Cancer Institute NSW for continuing to work with us. This campaign is based on facts and brings attention to choice in a key area of health care. We all want to spread the word about ways to prevent and screen for cancer, and we thank the many people in the community who have helped us develop Own It and our other CAN WE campaigns.

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