Making it a real choice: Improving the usability of cervical screening self-collection swabs for people with physical and sensory disability

While Australia has made significant progress towards the elimination of cervical cancer, this progress is uneven, with priority populations such as people with disability facing additional barriers to screening compared to the general population. 

People with disability experience a range of barriers to cancer screening programs, including cervical screening. Self-collection, where an individual collects their own sample using a lower vaginal swab, has been shown to improve participation in cervical screening for under and never-screened women and other people with a cervix. Through the Supporting Choice for Cervical Screening project, we have explored barriers and enablers to implementation of self-collection for cervical screening.  We interviewed people with disability, and people who provide health and other services to people with disability, about how the choice of self-collection can be made more accessible.

We heard that self-collection has potential to address some of the existing inequities in access to, and experiences of, cervical screening. However, the current design of the self-collection swab poses challenges for some people with physical and sensory disability.

How to get involved

• Workshop Flyer
• Information Sheet (Easy Read)
• Information Sheet (Word)