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Monash Women’s cervical screening in pregnancy care update

Posted at 5:09pm on 2 April 2025 in Health professional updates by

Enhancing cervical screening in pregnancy care with self-collection options

Monash Women’s is aiming to improve routine cervical screening for patients booked for pregnancy care. To achieve this, we have introduced self-collection cervical screening options to enhance screening rates during pregnancy. Cervical screening is safe and accurate at any stage of pregnancy, and pregnancy provides an excellent opportunity for opportunistic preventative health care.

Why cervical screening is critical

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet it disproportionately affects those who have never been screened or are under-screened. More than 70% of Australians diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer are under-screened or have never been screened.

Self-collection is as safe and effective as clinician-collected samples and offers a preferable alternative for many patients.

How you can help

  • Perform cervical screening prior to referral for all patients planning pregnancy, currently pregnant, or at the 6-week postnatal check. Attach the results with the referral paperwork (you can check the National Cervical Screening Register to see if your patients are due for cervical screening).
  • Offer the option of a self-collection kit to reduce barriers and make the screening process more convenient and comfortable for your patients.

If Monash Women’s performs cervical screening during pregnancy care, we will review the results and manage them according to the National Guidelines, linking results to your practice to keep you updated on future management.

More information and resources