A Preventable Cancer That Still Affects Many
Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that is almost entirely preventable, yet it continues to affect women in Australia, particularly those from multicultural, migrant and Indian Australian backgrounds. This year’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, held from 17 to 23 November 2025, focuses on the theme “The Power of Choice”. It highlights the life-saving decisions every woman can make through HPV vaccination, cervical screening, self-collection options and timely follow-up care. These choices matter even more when women understand how cervical cancer develops, how Australia’s prevention system works and why some communities remain disproportionately affected.
A Personal Reflection from Dr Preeti Khillan
As a women’s health specialist caring for multicultural communities for more than two decades, I have met many women whose lives could have been changed by early screening. One Indian Australian woman I met, a 42-year-old mother of two, presented with minor pelvic discomfort, believing she was at “no risk” because she was married, healthy and symptom-free. She had never undergone cervical screening in Australia. When she finally agreed to screen, her test revealed high-grade abnormalities caused by HPV. Her shock, fear and regret were overwhelming.
Her story is painful but common. She represents countless migrant women who put their family’s needs above their own health, often delaying or avoiding screening due to cultural beliefs, embarrassment or a lack of information. Thankfully, her condition was detected early enough for treatment. But her words stay with me: “Why didn’t I know earlier?”
No woman in Australia, especially those from Indian, South Asian and multicultural communities, should ever say, “I didn’t know”. Prevention begins with awareness.
Australia’s free school-based HPV vaccination programme, offered to girls and boys aged 12 to 13, is one of the strongest cancer-prevention initiatives in the world
Understanding HPV and the Role of the School Vaccination Programme
Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is extremely common and up to 80 per cent of adults will encounter it at some point, regardless of marital status or number of partners.
Australia’s free school-based HPV vaccination programme, offered to girls and boys aged 12 to 13, is one of the strongest cancer-prevention initiatives in the world. Vaccination coverage sits at around 83 per cent, slightly below the national target of 90 per cent by 2030. For Indian Australian and multicultural families, understanding that the HPV vaccine is a cancer-prevention vaccine, not a vaccine linked to sexual activity, is crucial. Ensuring that children receive their school vaccination is one of the most powerful steps a family can take to protect the next generation.
Cervical Screening, Self-Collection and Women’s Choice
Vaccination alone cannot eliminate cervical cancer. Regular cervical screening remains essential for all women, and anyone with a cervix, aged 25 to 74. Australia’s modern HPV test, introduced in 2017, is more accurate than the former Pap smear and detects abnormalities earlier.
A major breakthrough is the option of self-collection, available to all women since July 2022. Self-collection allows women to take their own sample privately at their GP clinic. For many multicultural women, this method has transformed participation by reducing embarrassment, anxiety and cultural discomfort. More than 315,000 Australian women have chosen this option, and uptake among first-time and overdue screeners is especially high. It reflects the central idea of this year’s theme, the power of choice.
In high-diversity suburbs across Australia, screening rates drop to 40 to 55 per cent, well below the national average of 62.4 per cent
The Numbers: Incidence, Mortality and Community Disparities
Australia has one of the world’s lowest cervical cancer rates, yet inequities persist. According to Cancer Australia and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare:
- 982 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020
- 269 women died from the disease in 2022
- National incidence is 7.6 per 100,000 women
However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have incidence rates of 11.7 per 100,000, almost double the national rate. Women from multicultural communities, including South Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Pacific Islander backgrounds, consistently screen less and present later.
Research among South Asian women in Queensland showed only 55.4 per cent had ever been screened, and fewer than half were screened on time.
In high-diversity suburbs across Australia, screening rates drop to 40 to 55 per cent, well below the national average of 62.4 per cent. These disparities reflect gaps in awareness, cultural barriers and access challenges.
Why Many Multicultural Women Miss Screening
Many migrant women believe they are “not at risk” because they are in stable relationships or feel healthy. Others feel embarrassed discussing intimate health matters or prefer not to be examined by a male doctor.
Language barriers, busy family schedules, lack of knowledge and unfamiliarity with Medicare or preventive healthcare further delay screening.
Cultural misconceptions, such as “I don’t need screening unless I have symptoms”, are dangerous because cervical cancer develops silently. Feeling well does not mean being safe.
Practical barriers, such as work demands, childcare, transport and navigating a new health system, also contribute to delays. These challenges are real, but cervical cancer is preventable and no barrier is worth risking one’s life.
For Indian Australian women, conversations about cervical health must begin at home and within cultural spaces, including temples, gurdwaras, festivals, women’s groups, language schools and community gatherings
Overcoming Barriers: Making Screening Easier for Multicultural Women
Australia’s health system now offers more supportive options than ever. Self-collection enables private, comfortable screening. Female GPs and nurses are widely available across most regions, and clinics offer translated information, interpreters and culturally safe environments.
For Indian Australian women, conversations about cervical health must begin at home and within cultural spaces, including temples, gurdwaras, festivals, women’s groups, language schools and community gatherings. Sharing information in Indian languages helps break the silence and reduces stigma.
Women must recognise that caring for their families begins with caring for themselves. Missing even one five-year screening interval can allow HPV-related abnormalities to progress unnoticed.
The Power to Prevent Cervical Cancer Is in Your Hands
Australia is on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, an extraordinary global achievement. But elimination can only become reality when all women, including those from multicultural and Indian Australian communities, participate in screening and vaccination programmes.
The tools are here, including free HPV vaccination, modern five-yearly screening and the empowering option of self-collection.
This Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, let us use our voice, our knowledge and our choice to protect ourselves and our families.
The power to prevent cervical cancer lies in your hands, and the time to act is now.
About the author: Dr Preeti Khillan is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Co-Founder of Western Specialist Centre.
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