About Get Papped

After I received an abnormal pap smear result just before I was about to depart on a trip of a lifetime overseas, I was scared and broken. I was young and knew so little about pap smears and cervical screenings, I just knew I was supposed to have one every couple of years.

I was told I needed a biopsy, I didn’t really understand the procedure- nor did I want to. I was terrified, crying and completely vulnerable in the gynecologists chair. She stopped and told me that she could see that I didn’t have cancer and that it would be very unlikely that I’d need to undergo surgery. She patiently and gently let me know how the procedure would go and promised me it would be over in five minutes. This simple procedure was one of the hardest moments of my life. Mostly because I wasn’t able to have a conversation with anyone who could tell me how the procedure was and what their experience was like. 

The reality is that this procedure is very common, I can assure you that you know someone who has gone through this. So why is the conversation around pap smears and cervical screenings so quiet? Why aren’t we openly discussing our health?

We have the ability to put other women's minds at ease, encourage them to be accountable about their health and have open and honest discussions. So that’s why #GetPapped was created, to open a conversation and for us to hold our friends/family/colleagues/neighbours etc accountable for their health. Cervical cancer death rates in Australia have halved since the National Cervical Screening Program (pap smears) began in 1991. Which is proof of the importance of regular pap smears. I felt so alone when I discovered the abnormality, it was difficult to have this open and honest conversation which is what led me to begin the #GetPapped project. This project isn't about making money, it's about starting conversations and holding one another accountable.

 

Purchase a birthday card and use our hashtag #GetPapped to spread the message and start the conversation.