The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows between 2018 and 2021, 54.9 per cent of 25 to 74-year-olds in Western NSW had a cervical screening test.

The average across Australia is 62.4 per cent.

\Cervical screening is recommended for anyone over 25-years-old who has a cervix.

Cervical screening replaced the pap smear in 2017. Unlike a pap smear, the cervical screening test looks for human papillomavirus, which causes more than 95 per cent of cervical cancers.

A test is recommended every five years.

"We do see data from key agencies which show rates of screening in Western NSW is below the national average," Family Planning Australia assistant medical director Evonne Ong said.

"This is concerning because we know in its early stages, cervical cancer often has no symptoms, so screening is crucial to save lives."

Kirsty Browne knows all to well the importance of getting a cervical screening test.

She was 26-years-old when she went to her GP for a routine appointment. During the consultation she asked for a pap smear because a previous test had shown abnormal results.

Her GP referred her to a specialist. And a few days and couple more tests later, she was told she had cervical adenocarcinoma.

Ms Browne - who went on to become one of the first woman in Australia to give birth without a cervix - is now a passionate advocate for cervical screening tests.

"If I could give the Australian women a message, it would be to know if they have been vaccinated and to know when you're due for an HPV screening test," Ms Browne said in Cancer Council NSW's new campaign.

"To live in a country that has innovated, to the point where we could potentially completely prevent this disease is so exciting, but also really motivating."

Ms Browne said her story was lucky, but it could have been very different for her.

The self-collection method for cervical screening was introduced in July 2022.

Dr Ong said it was a "potential game changer" for anyone who may have been holding off on important screening.

"We know self-collection is a screening option that is more comfortable for some people. The good news is that research shows self-collection is equally effective at detecting the HPV virus as a sample collected by a doctor or a nurse, and you can choose whatever option you are most comfortable with," she said.

The self-collection is a simple and quick process.

The doctor or nurse will give you instructions before showing you to the toilets or another private space. You will be provided with a clean, thin swab to insert a few centimetres into the vagina to collect the sample.

The sample is then sent to the laboratory for testing.

Dr Ong said Family Planning Australia's Dubbo clinic had experienced nurses and doctors who would provide further information on cervical screening.

Self-collection screening tests and nurse-collected options are both available.