ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

On 18 September 2007, a campaign to encourage women to have regular cervical smears as part of the National Cervical Screening Programme was launched.

The campaign has a universal message for all women – having regular cervical smear tests could save your life. It has a particular focus on Māori and Pacific women because of their higher rates of cervical cancer and lower rates of cervical screening. 

You will see advertising on television and in magazines, and hear it on radio.

Campaign objectives

The campaign seeks to:

• increase awareness and understanding of cervical cancer and the benefits of cervical screening
• increase discussion about cervical screening, in order to get support from families, friends and communities for women to have regular smears
• increase the number of Maori and Pacific women who make appointments and have smears.

Campaign Audiences

The campaign has a universal message for all New Zealand women – to have regular cervical smear tests. The priority audience for the campaign is Maori and Pacific women who have ever been sexually active and who have not had a cervical smear test within the last three years.

Other audiences are:

• family, friends and community members who support and influence these women.
• all women aged 20 to 70 who have ever been sexually active and who have not had a cervical smear test within the last three years.
• While the advertising is specifically focused on Maori and Pacific women, it is likely to make all women more aware of the need to have regular cervical smears.

Key messages

Key messages include:

• Cervical cancer is caused by a very common virus: HPV.  But you can stop this cancer before it starts
• HPV is a very common virus that most women will have at some stage. Genital HPV is a sexually transmitted infection
• You can develop HPV without knowing it, even if you are no longer sexually active - and regardless of age
• HPV usually has no symptoms, so the only way to know you are affected is to have regular smear tests every three years
• A smear test can pick up cell changes that can lead to cervical cancer
• Cell changes can then be monitored and treated before cancer develops
• Having regular cervical smears can reduce your changes of developing cervical cancer by 90 percent
• If you’re aged between 20 and 70 and have ever been sexually active, having a smear test every three years could save your life – so you can be there for your whanau in the future