This indicator is the proportion of female First Nations regular clients aged 25–74 who have not had a hysterectomy and who had a cervical screening test within the previous 5 years.
It is collected for females in age groups:
- 25–34
- 35–44
- 45–54
- 55–64
- 65–69
- 70–74.
There have been changes to the specification of this indicator over time. For more information see Interpreting nKPI data.
Why cervical screening is important
Cervical screening aims to detect and treat precancerous abnormalities that might otherwise progress to cervical cancer. First Nations women generally experience a high burden from cervical cancer compared with non-Indigenous women (AIHW 2021).
The National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP), which aims to reduce mortality from cervical cancer, was originally targeted at women aged 20–69 for a 2-yearly Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, or ‘Pap test’, to detect precancerous abnormalities of the cervix. From 1 December 2017, the NCSP changed to 5-yearly cervical screening for women aged 25–74 using a primary human papilloma virus (HPV) test with partial HPV genotyping and reflex liquid-based cytology triage.
While the HPV vaccine is very effective at protecting against the 2 most common cervical cancer-causing types of HPV, it doesn’t protect against all types of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer. This means that both HPV-vaccinated and unvaccinated women are recommended to have regular Cervical Screening Tests (the Pap test replacement) to reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer.
At June 2023, 42% (or around 45,300) of female First Nations regular clients aged 25–74 who have not had a hysterectomy had a cervical screening test within the previous 5 years (Figure 1).
