Doctors seek to quell cervical cancer fear

The way Australian women are tested for cervical cancer is about to change - for the better.

The biennial pap smear will become a thing of the past from May 1, replaced by a test sexually-active women will need just once every five years, from age 25 instead of 18.

That's sparked fears by some that the less frequent testing will put lives at risk, but doctors stress that is not the case.

More than 50,000 people have signed a change.org petition this week urging the federal government to scrap the changes, labelling it a dangerous cost-cutting exercise.

The petition, to be handed to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, raises concerns about the testing age being raised to 25, and the five-year gap between testing.

Doctors say women should be rejoicing, insisting the new regime will save lives as well as stress and anxiety.

"This is not a case of the government trying to save money, this is a case of the government listening to the experts," Australian Medical Association president Dr Michael Gannon told AAP.

While pap smears detect abnormal cell changes, the new test detects human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the cause of almost all cervical cancer cases.

The rare cases of cervical cancer that won't be detected by this test weren't detected by pap smears either, he said.

The new regime complements Australia's HPV vaccination program for girls and boys.

Dr Gannon, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, says besides saving millions of women the discomfort and nuisance of testing every two years, the new regime will save tens of thousands of women from having to undergo minor cervical surgery to remove abnormalities detected by pap smears.

There was a clear association between these surgeries and premature births, pregnancy risks and fertility problems, he said.

The doctor overseeing the introduction of the new test insists women should not be afraid of the reduced number of tests.

Professor Ian Hammond, a retired gynaecological oncologist chairing the steering committee for the renewal implementation project, says HPV is like a common cold, and almost all sexually-active women will contract it.

Abnormalities are like a nasty dose of the flu and while many doctors have traditionally treated them with surgery to prevent cervical cancer, evidence now suggests that in young women these infections will usually go away without treatment.

"The development of cervical cancer is a very slow process so it's much better actually not to over-treat young women because the risk is so low," he told AAP.

"Cervical cancer is very rare in young women, HPV infection is incredibly common, and the harms of being investigated and treated far outweigh the risk of getting cervical cancer."