It had been over a decade since her last cervical screening test when Abbey, busy mum of three, found herself facing a cervical cancer diagnosis.
After experiencing some abnormal vaginal bleeding and other unusual symptoms, Abbey went to her doctor. Further testing and a biopsy completed by a gynaecologist confirmed she had cervical cancer.
“As soon as the doctor said, ‘you have cervical cancer’, my world just fell away. Everything became a blur and all I could think about were my children – would they grow up without their mum and how would they cope? It was one of the worst days of my life,” Abbey said.
Abbey’s cancer was detected at an early stage and was successfully treated, but she reflected that her diagnosis could have been avoided if she’d kept up to date with her cervical screening.
“I knew cervical screening was something that I needed to do, and I had this sense of guilt, but the test was always so uncomfortable for me, so I kept putting it off.”
In 2024, Abbey shared her story to support our In Your Hands cervical screening campaign, which aimed to increase participation in cervical screening and protect eligible Victorians against cervical cancer.
The campaign was delivered under Cancer Council Victoria’s five-year Eliminating Cervical Cancer Strategy which has been generously funded by donors, including Freemasons Foundation Victoria.
Victorians who were exposed to the campaign reported increased awareness, knowledge and intention to participate in cervical screening. The campaign’s video was viewed over three million times and our cervical screening website received more than 25,000 visits.
Kate Broun, Head of Screening, Early Detection and Immunisation said that the campaign was a critical part of our work to increase cervical screening participation in Victoria and move us closer to eliminating cervical cancer in the state.
“Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers if found early through regular cervical screening. Campaigns like this are a critical way for us to address some of the key barriers stopping Victorians from screening and remind everyone eligible to participate when they are due, to protect against cervical cancer,” said Kate.
“Don't wait until it’s too late. If you are due for your cervical screening, go and book one today and protect yourself and your loved ones against a cervical cancer diagnosis,” Abbey said.
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