Own It Cervical Screening (Self-Collection) Campaign

Project Overview

Australia is on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035. The Own It campaign marks the first national cervical screening campaign in more than 20 years, focusing on the prevention of the most preventable cancer. Screening is crucial as more than 70% of Australians diagnosed with cervical cancer are either under-screened or have never screened. The campaign encourages all women aged between 25 and 74 who have had sexual contact to screen every five years.

The $10 million campaign aims to raise awareness of self-collection cervical screening tests, particularly among multicultural and First Nations populations, as well as those living with disabilities, residing in rural and remote areas, and individuals from sexually and gender-diverse communities. Introduced in 2022, self-collection allows women to conduct their own tests privately at a local clinic using a simple swab.

The Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative is working alongside community partners to promote awareness of self-collection among six language groups, including Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Punjabi, and Vietnamese-speaking women. This community education and grassroots outreach will be bolstered by a paid media campaign across TV, social media, Spotify, and YouTube.