Ongoing resistance to cervical tests and HPV vaccinations
Despite free cervical screening and self-tests, there are still barriers to women accessing appointments to prevent cervical cancer.
Otago University Associate Professor Dr Peter Sykes, who will speak at a public event in Whanganui this week, said there had been a drop in overall cervical cancer screenings, particularly in young people.
For some women, this could be due to opposition about the invasiveness of having to do a follow-up smear test or further cervical examinations such as colposcopy appointments.
Cervical cancer screening starts at age 25, and Sykes said often people make less frequent appointments with their GP at this age.
Covid also resulted in delays to all health screenings over the past three years.
In September, the government announced a policy to fully fund free cervical screening and self-tests at a cost of $20 million a year.
About 10 per cent of people struggle to attend a colposcopy appointment, which is a further detailed cervical examination.
“I’m really trying to encourage the availability of these
clinics in marae, and there’s been some work with colposcopy on [health] buses; those are things we can do to reduce those barriers.
“There’ll always be people who find attending for investigations difficult.”
Different cultures found vaginal examinations more or less challenging, and victims of sexual abuse could find it harder to attend appointments, Sykes said.
“It doesn’t take much in terms of people feeling they’re being prejudiced against, either by the system or because of the system to put people off. I think certainly a smear test can be uncomfortable, and if somebody has a bad experience, then they’re unlikely to return.”
The latest unpublished data comparing the cervical screening and HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination programmes showed there was a 70 per cent reduction in the risk of cervical cancer for vaccinated people.
Only 66 per cent of New Zealand’s population is vaccinated for HPV; the World Health Organisation recommends a 90 per cent vaccination rate for HPV.
“It’s a fantastic tool, but we as a country are not utilising it to its maximum effectiveness — our vaccination rates are lower than would be ideal.”
There needed to be better communication of the benefits of vaccination.
There have been concerns expressed by parents of children aged 11 or 12 in getting the vaccine due to fears of complications such as Guillain-Barre syndrome. But Sykes said there was no evidence it occurs more frequently post-vaccination.
Sykes said there was minimal benefit in getting the vaccine after the age of 18, and a large portion of the population was sexually active at a younger age. “If you can reduce the risk of your daughter getting cervical cancer by 70 per cent through a simple jab, that’s pretty strong, isn’t it?”