Promoting regular health checks has long been a focus of our Health team.
Regular 715 Health Checks are an important part of preventative healthcare for our Aboriginal community, helping identify concerns early and keeping people connected with the care and support they need.
But we also know some health checks aren’t exactly the things we chat about over lunch. Poo samples, cervical screening, and sexual health probably aren’t going to make anyone’s list of favourite conversations. Still, we want our community to feel a little more comfortable talking about them, at least with us.
Cervical Screening Has Changed
Aboriginal women continue to have lower participation in cervical screening and experience a disproportionately higher burden of cervical cancer than non-Indigenous women. Source AIHW.
The good news is that cervical screening has changed, giving people more choice and control. Participants can now choose to collect their own sample using a simple swab or have their healthcare provider collect it.
Self-collection is just as accurate at detecting HPV, which causes almost all cervical cancers, as a sample collected by a healthcare provider.
So, if embarrassment, discomfort, or fear has been a barrier in the past, it might be time to give screening another go. The test has changed, and there are now more options for how it’s done.
Making STI and BBV Testing Part of Routine Health Care
Over the coming months, you’ll notice an increased focus across our Health and Wellbeing programs on promoting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood-borne virus (BBV) testing.
STIs and BBVs aren’t always easy topics to talk about, and shame, embarrassment, or fear of judgement can be enough to stop someone from getting tested. We want our clients to see testing for STIs and BBVs as simply another part of looking after their health, just like having a blood pressure check or a 715 Health Check.
Making it Easier to Talk About Our Health
Whether it’s cervical screening, bowel screening, an STI or BBV test, or a regular 715 Health Check, there’s no shame and no judgement in looking after our health. These conversations might sometimes feel a little awkward, but for our Health team, they’re simply part of healthcare.
So, this is a reminder for all of us. Keep up with your health checks, get tested when you need to, and help us make these conversations a normal part of looking after ourselves, our families, and our community.
