Encouraging our Wahine to have regular cervical smear tests.

Mekura Taiaroa-Briggs is the Kaumatua/Taua for the Canterbury Cervical Screening Service programme that encourages Māori women to have regular cervical smears taken.

Mekura is a survivor of cervical cancer that was successfully treated when she was 60.

"Now I’m passionate about telling people about my experiences so they will seek help early if they have a problem with a cervical abnormality and get it treated before it develops into cancer. Having a smear test regularly means that problems can be picked up and treated even before there are any visible symptoms. I tell my story so our wahine Māori won’t be whakamā about these things and will have the smear test done.

"I nearly left it too late. It was early in 1987 that I noticed an unusual discharge, but I just thought it was an after-effect of menopause so I did nothing about it. About eleven months later I visited my daughter and she had me at the doctor straight away because she was shocked at how I looked.

"I was quickly in hospital, diagnosed with advanced cancer of the cervix. The doctor said one more month and it would have been too late for treatment. On my sixtieth birthday, warmed and strengthened by the awhi and aroha of my family, I began six weeks of radiation treatment.  Throughout the treatment we focussed on a positive attitude, and did karakia and the treatment was successful.

"Having regular cervical smears is the best way to detect problems before they turn into cancers. But for Māori that area of the body is tapu, special and sacred - the whare tangata or the House of the Generations. This is a big reason why our wahine don’t want the area to be looked at, or a smear taken.

"I work with a team of Māori health promoters here in Canterbury that organise clinics wherever women are. We encourage Māori women to have the smear tests. We make the process a positive one as we have two Māori women smear takers.  They understand our cultural sensitivity around cervical screening.  We take around 30 minutes with an appointment, we do karakia, and having an elder like me there helps our wahine feel safe and comfortable.

"We are out there spreading the message that the best prevention for cervical cancer is regular smears. Our message is simple: ‘Make sure you are there for your whanau - come in and have regular smears done.'"