title: Cervical cytology in Western Australia. Frequency, geographical and socioeconomic distributions and providers of the service.
abstract: Basic data were obtained from the records of 16,069 women who had smears taken for cervical cytological examination in Western Australia during an eight-week period in 1983. The peak smear rate was 340.7 per 1000 at 25-29 years of age and fell thereafter with age. The estimated peak frequency of smears that were designated as "screening" smears was 178.3 per 1000 at 30-34 years of age. Screening smears comprised 39% to 66% of the total number of smears, depending on age. After correction for the estimated prevalence of past hysterectomy, only in the age range 20-34 years did the rate of all smears approach the rate of screening smears that would be obtained under a recommended frequency of once every three years. The frequency of screening smears was 20% less in rural areas of Western Australia than in the capital city, Perth. In Perth it fell with decreasing socioeconomic status. General practitioners took 62.4% of all smears and 70.3% of screening smears. On average, female general practitioners took twice as many smears than did male general practitioners.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014626:Vaginal Smears