New figures state that with Pap tests witnessing a decline every two years by almost 10 per cent, young women are not showing interest in screening for cervical cancer.

In older women a rise of similar amount has been figured out by the national statistics. Since 1996- 1997 there has been a 1.4 per cent fall in screening rates for all women aged 20-69.

Reported barriers to cervical screening are being thought to be the cause of this among young women.

A survey was conducted in 2009 in which about 1000 Victorian women were questioned and it was found that they stated Pap screening as painful and awkward and they did not have time for getting a test done. Many of them also did not understand the importance of a Pap test.

Kate Broun, manager of PapScreen Victoria said, “Some younger women think that cervical cancer won’t happen to them. Only one in two Australian women aged 20-29 are having a Pap test every two years, compared to two in three older women, which is obviously concerning to us.”

Cervical cancer is the third most common cause of cancer deaths among women across the world.