Maori women hear screening message

The cervical screening message was brought to Kihikihi yesterday in an information evening hosted by the Te Awamutu Maori Women’s Welfare League.

A speaker from the Waikato District Health Board explained to the women at the meeting how cervical smears are taken and why they are important.

Nancy Danaher is concerned about women, especially those over 40 and of Maori descent, who don’t get a regular free smear every three years.

Data on the National Cervical Screening Programme suggests that less than half of Maori women get screened on time in the Waikato.

“I don’t know one woman who likes to get a smear,” she said. “I think it [the information evening] takes away some of the fear and some of the uncertainty they have.”

“Women can be shy, especially Maori women,” said Rangi Paraha, president of the Maori Women’s Welfare League branch in Te Awamutu who hosted the information evening.

Paraha had received a letter telling her she was overdue for a smear and promptly threw it away six months ago.

When Danaher told her of the importance of the smear, Paraha thought, “There must be others like me,” and decided to organize the information evening.

The hope is that those attending will relay the information to their family members.

“It’s not necessary to use complicated language,” said Danaher, who said GPs and nurses don’t always have the time to make sure their patients understand how the human papillomavirus can lead to cervical cancer.

In most women, the body can naturally rid itself of HPV or the virus remains dormant.

Nearly all women who develop cervical cancer haven’t had a smear for a long time as it takes 10-20 years for the cancer to develop.

Danaher said that older women are particularly at risk and they tend to be the ones who don’t go for regular checkups.

In the past, it was mostly male GPs who took the smears. Now almost every practice has a woman available, which Danaher believes helps the women feel more comfortable.

“Listen to your body,” Danaher stressed. “If you have unusual symptoms, go see your GP.”

As the evening went on, the women in attendance kept laughing as the tools used to take a smear were being passed around.

“I love it [the information evening],” said Danaher, “because women always start to laugh and joke. It’s awesome.”

•  A free smear test will be available for all women at the Maori Women’s Welfare League, 18 Lyon Street in Kihikihi on Saturday 1^st March, 9am-3pm.
•  To find your nearest free cervical smear, or for more information, call 0800 729729.