OPINION
Peter Allan Williams
peterallanwilliams.substack.com
Writer and broadcaster for half a century. Now watching from the sidelines although verbalising thoughts on www.reality check.radio three days a week
The separatist health system has come to the fore again.
A new cervical cancer screening programme has started whereby women don’t need to have a smear test if they’d rather not but instead can self-test by doing their own vaginal swab.
By the way, the information website, timetoscreen.nz very helpfully describes who is eligible for screening. Apparently, cervical screening is available for women – and people with a cervix. I don’t actually know anybody with a cervix who is not a woman, but then I might have missed that particular biology class.
Anyway, the website then goes on to describe how the screening service is not fully funded by the government, which is extraordinary considering that one woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer every second day, and if discovered early enough the disease is curable.
Even though it is not fully funded there is no cost if you are a Maori or Pacific woman, if you haven’t had a test in the last five years or if you have a community services card.
The reason given for Maori women having fully funded access and non-Maori who don’t otherwise qualify paying between forty and sixty dollars for the test is that there is increased incidence and mortality from cervical cancer for Maori women compared to non-Maori women.
However, the evidence also says that Maori women as a population are less likely to attend regular screening. A research paper from as far back as 2006 said only 46 per cent of Maori women were screened. Which might account for the increased incidence and mortality.
Yes, there is a statistical difference between Maori and non-Maori women when it comes to the incidence of cervical cancer, but even with my limited knowledge of biology I doubt it has anything to with genetics or ethnicity, but rather the fact that not enough Maori women test regularly.
In that respect the idea of fully funded testing for Maori is worthwhile, but what about non-Maori women who do not have a community services card and who might just find that sixty dollars is a cost too far for a voluntary testing procedure?
It’s been found the major influences on health outcomes in this country are not to do with ethnicity but with one’s environment, lifestyle and income.
Here’s an example. Why should a high-income earning Maori woman lawyer get free access to cervical testing and a similarly well-paid non-Maori woman lawyer have to pay for the same service?
Or to personalise it, why should the Mayor of Rotorua Tania Tapsell not have to pay but the Mayor of Napier Kirsten Wise does?
It isn’t fair and reasonable in this country where everybody supposedly has equal rights to social and medical services. Whether you pay or not for this service should be based on need.
Access to cervical screening should be fully funded anyway, but if it is to be paid for by some women – oh and other people with a cervix – don’t discriminate access to the service based on ethnicity. Do it based on income and circumstances.
