Just a reminder that smear tests are free to all our enrolled patients. As a practice we subsidise this service to ensure that there is no financial barrier to accessing this important preventive test. We took this decision when the Eastern Bay PHA reintroduced age limits for the free sexual health visits that we had worked so hard to achieve for the Kawerau PHO. All our nurses are qualified to do smear tests so please book an appointment if you are due for a smear test. Reminder letters and txt messages are sent out when you are due for your next smear so please take advantage of this opportunity.

Smear tests are advised for all women from 20 to 70 years of age to help diagnose cancer of the cervix at an early stage so that curative treatment is possible. If detected only when symptoms appear the risk of the disease being too advanced to cure is significantly increased. Having a regular smear test every three years significantly reduces the risk of developing invasive cancer (1 in 90 if not screened will develop cancer and only 1 in 570 if screened) and the risk of dying from cancer of the cervix (1 in 200 will die from cervical cancer if not screened and only 1 in 1280 would die if screened), so having regular screening reduces you risk to about one sixth of what it would be if you didn’t have a regular smear.

This link  from Healthed NZ  provides more information so that you can be better informed.