Table 2.

Concerns relating to the specific changes in recommendations.

Concernsa and coded most with...		Example comments
Want to keep current cytology (Pap Test) system
	Screening interval	There should be no change. Screening should be every two years.
	Women’s health	Pap smear testing is a vital health care service—so please leave it alone!! Women’s lives depend on it!!
	Prevention or early detection	I’m signing because early detection saves lives, why change something that has helped detect cervical cancer early.
Worry about screening interval
	Personal experience	I have had abnormal Pap smear result which changed 2 levels in 9 months. Leaving it for 3 years would have meant death.
	Worry about missing young women	It should be decreased to once a year not increased to once every 5 years. The age should be decreased to 16 not increased to 25!!
	Women’s health	Women need their screening. 5 years is too long between screening. How many women have to end up with cancer before anything is done. Think about the women in your family.
	Prevention or early detection	I don’t agree with extending the time between tests. It should stay at every 2 years and that’s it. This will hopefully lead to early detection. A test 5 years apart…I can’t see how that can lead to early detection.
Worry about missing young women
	Screening interval	I want Pap smears to be available to everyone from 18 years old every two years.
	Personal experience	A Pap smear detected pre-cancerous cells in my cervix when I was 20 years old. A delay of years could have compromised my survival.
	Worry about missing older women	Any form of cancer does not discriminate against age young or old can still get it & if a Pap smear saves 1 life that means it’s very worthwhile for all women of all ages.
Disagreement with HPVb test
	Screening interval	5 years is too long between tests for 'early' detection and limiting the test to only screen for HPV induced cancers will put a greater number of lives at risk.
	Women’s health	This is not fair to women all over Australia they should test for everything when giving us Pap tests, because otherwise they are putting us in danger and it’s not right.
	Worry about missing young women	When I start to get Pap smears, I want to trust that I’m being tested for ANY abnormalities, not just the 80% and I want to be able to start now, not in 7 years when I may already have abnormalities or cancer that could have been prevented and detected.
Worry about missing older women
	Worry about missing young women	Screening should start as soon as girls are sexually active and certainly not finish at 70-75.

^a34.55% of total sample.

^bHPV: human papillomavirus.