Information for women with disabilities

All women need to have Cervical Screening Tests every five years between the ages of 25 and 74 if they have ever been sexually active.

Some women with disabilities may face barriers which make having a Cervical Screening Test harder to do. These barriers may include clinic accessibility, physical limitations, competing health needs and informed consent.

A doctor or health professional can provide individual advice to help overcome some of these barriers.

You can also find a Cervical Screening Provider that offers disability access using the following resources:

• NSW Cervical Screening Program
• Cancer Council Victoria Cervical Screening Test directory

You can find more information about cancer screening for people with disabilities here in these resources:

• Just Checking
• Plain Facts - Cervical Screening Tests
• Family Planning NSW

Women who choose not to or are unable to have a doctor or nurse collect the Cervical Screening Test, may choose to take the sample themselves. This is called a self-collected Cervical Screening Test.