Profound changes were made to the Australian National Cervical Screening Program in December 2017, which included a reduction in the frequency of screening and a new cervical screening test. To explore the attitudes and experiences of health professionals practising in Australia since implementation of these [...]
This paper sought to explore women’s experiences of the renewed National Cervical Screening Program in Australia from the perspective of women who have received different human papillomavirus (HPV) test results. Women aged 25 to 74 are now screened every 5 years with primary HPV screening.
We believe that it is imperative to have robust evidence about whether to communicate breast density information to women and, if so, how best to do it. Before this happens, there first needs to be an assessment of the balance between the benefits and harms [...]
Most people are familiar with the concept of undergoing general health checks. This might mean that your doctor talks to you about your medical history and lifestyle including diet, physical activity, alcohol intake and smoking history. This is part of providing holistic care to identify [...]
In the article below, University of Sydney Public Health Professor Alexandra Barratt explores the contention around the AgeX trial, the biggest randomised trial ever, which is considering how long should older women continue to be screened for breast cancer. It is published as part of [...]
This paper investigates the change in mammography screening technology, comparing digital mammography with the older film-screen mammography. Findings suggest that the transition to the newer technology has not resulted in health benefits for screened women.
Prof Alex Barratt responds to the claim that screening women in their 40s for breast cancer saves lives
Australia is one of the first high-income countries to implement primary human papillomavirus (HPV)-based screening, ahead of the USA, UK, Canada and New Zealand. Primary HPV testing has recently become one of the recommended options for cervical screening in the USA, but patients may need [...]
Listeners and experts discuss on the downsides of medical professionals sending patients off for unnecessary tests and investigations, and what happens when you go bush to unplug from life's complications.
What do women want to know about for them to feel ok about the changes to the cervical screening program? From six focus groups that we ran across Sydney with women aged 25-74, we found three key concepts that were a) important for women to [...]