Cervical Screening Awareness Month - what's our Southern story

Wednesday 18 September 2024

 

With the one-year anniversary of the launch of Aotearoa’s cervical screening self-swab and Cervical Screening Awareness Month, we take the opportunity to review the low rates of screening for Pasifika and Māori in Southern.

Our Southern Pasifika women have the lowest cervical screening rates in our region (compared to Māori and non-Pacific, non-Māori). Data from the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) Register shows that in Otago and Southland only 50% of Pasifika women aged 25-69 are up to date on their screening. Of the other half, approx. 16% have never been screened. In Dunedin, that is around 300 Pacific women who need to see a healthcare provider to get screened. A full breakdown is below.

Screening rates in Māori women are also low, with around 16% in Otago and Southland under-screened or not screened at all. 

Nationally, data shows that around 85% of the 180 people (all ethnicities) who get cervical cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand every year, have either never been screened or have not had regular screening (over-due and under screened).

WellSouth’s data team create clinical dashboards on Thalamus, a data platform. This cervical screening dashboard tracks all rates over time based on the NCSP register and displays Southern region results. We only have data from November last year up to August. You cannot compare this data to previous years because the parameters have changed following the self swab.

 

 

As you can see, a large proportion of Pasifika peoples in Southern are never screened. You can also see how popular the self swab has been in Southern.

Screening outcomes since launch of HPV self-test - NCSP

From 12 September 2023 to 31 May 2024 (approx. 8.5 months) for all of NZ, there have been over 310,000 HPV primary screens completed since roll out. Of those:  

  • 80.7% were self-tests  

  • 18.9% of primary screens of HPV primary screens done since rollout are in individuals who were unscreened or underscreened prior to 12 September 2023.  

  • HPV 16 or 18 was found in 2.1% of HPV primary screens.  

  • HPV Other was found in 8% of HPV primary screens.   

 

Source - https://mailchi.mp/d1669db0f404/your-ncsp-september-2023-health-sector-update-6120132

 

Dr Letava Tafuna’i WellSouth Senior Clinical Advisor, Pasifika who is also a Dunedin GP and Associate Dean Pacific, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago.

She says there are a variety of reasons for not getting screened or being under-screened including language barriers, health awareness, access to a health service that understands the health needs of the patient, family, work and community commitments - just too busy.

“We need to normalise the health conversation within our Pacific families to build health awareness.  Health needs of a woman need to be discussed within the family between mothers and daughters, aunties and nieces, grand mothers and granddaughters acknowledging a woman’s physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.  And this includes early screening for cancers that we can actually do something about if caught early.  The problem is we are catching cancers late in our Pacific communities, and the health system is not set up to address this issue effectively.”

“Health professionals have an important role in initiating the conversation of a woman’s health needs and we need to exercise this privilege.”  “Health professionals and the resources used for health promotion need to address the diversity of our population in Aotearoa, including the diversity of the Pacific population which Aotearoa acknowledges 17 different Pacific ethnic groups – but there are more.”

“Simplifying the process and making a test that people can take themselves while at their healthcare provider is a game changer. It will break down barriers for our Pasifika as well as Māori wāhine to get screened.

Our health services need to be accessible.  A lot of health services including cervical/HPV screening are now offered by community providers which helps with this. 

 

Tips for healthcare providers:

  • Make space for other family members who might come, or children, and acknowledge the people in the room.

  • Create events and clinics at times that mums can attend.

  • Try to learn a word or two in your patient’s language and have ethnic specific resources for your patients.

  • Support or promote other clinics/community providers if you are unable to provide enough screening opportunities.

  • Contact and encourage people to come to get their screening.

 

 

Facts

  • Eligibility for screening: Māori and Pacific wāhine or whānau aged 25 to 69, and anyone aged between 30 and 69 who has never had a cervical screen or has not had a cervical screen in the last 5 years

  • More funding and eligibility information here https://info.health.nz/keeping-healthy/cancer-screening/cervical-screening/eligibility-for-cervical-screening

  • The new test is at your usual screening provider (such as your doctor) or you can go to a Pacific healthcare, hauora provider, community or Family Planning clinic.

  • It looks for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that causes more than 95% of cervical cancers.

  • It’s an easy test that you can take yourself when you're at your healthcare provider.

  • For many people it will replace a smear. As a result, most people will now only need to screen every five years.

 

How do I know if or when I need one?

Check with your healthcare provider. All general practices provide tests as so some community healthcare providers including Pasifika and Kaupapa Māori Organisations.

 

You can also contact the NCSP-Register to find out if you are due or overdue for screening, to change your contact details, or to ask any other questions. You can contact the NCSP by free phoning 0800 729 729 or emailinginfo@ncspregister.health.nz. Get more info here www.timetoscreen.nz.

 

 

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