Persuasive Speech On Cervical Cancer

Every year, eight hundred Australian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, despite it being one of the most preventable diseases out there. Think about it: That could be your sister, best friend or even you.

Good morning everyone, and thank you for being here to show your support for the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation, and for women’s health in general.

I am here on behalf of the ACCF today to spread the word on the changes to government funding that will deeply affect all you young women here today, particularly those under the age of twenty-five, and from what I can see, that’s the majority of you.

The pap test, yes, is a dreaded word, however it is a critical tool in the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. And aside from this, one true incentive of the pap test is that is it currently free to all women under twenty-five. However, by May of next year funding cuts to Medicare will unfortunately be implemented, resulting in the pap test no longer being free to us. This, of course, will inevitably deter women from receiving the potentially lifesaving screening, particularly for all those young women who are already hesitant about going in for the test.

The numbers of women that are not having the bi-annual exam has grown to 43% between the ages of eighteen to seventy, and removing the incentive of full Medicare coverage for the test will inevitably raise this figure even higher, which could have tragic consequences.

It is for this reason that I implore all you bright young women here today to not only save yourself money, but also take all the preventative measures possible against cervical cancer by going out and having the Pap test while it is still free to you, so you can continue to live your happy, healthy

lives.