Female—cervical screening indicator, yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N

Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type:	Data Element
Short name:	Cervical screening indicator
Synonymous names:	HPV test indicator; Human papillomavirus test indicator
METEOR identifier:	731925
Registration status:	Indigenous, Standard 14/07/2021
Definition:	An indicator of whether a female person has had a cervical screening (HPV) test, as represented by a code.
Data Element Concept:	Female—cervical screening indicator

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Representation class:

Code

Data type:

Number

Format:

Maximum character length:

Permissible values:

Value	Meaning
1	Yes
2	No

Supplementary values:

Value	Meaning
9	Not stated/inadequately described

Collection and usage attributes

Guide for use:

CODE 9 Not stated/inadequately described

This code is not for use in primary data collections.

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Comments:

From 1 December 2017, the screening test for cervical cancer, the Pap test, changed to a test for the human papillomavirus (HPV) with partial HPV genotyping and reflex liquid-based cytology (LBC) triage. The procedure for collecting samples for HPV testing is the same as for having a Pap smear. A health-care professional will take a small sample of cells from the woman’s cervix. The sample will be sent to a pathology laboratory for examination. The previous Pap test could detect abnormal cell changes, however the new cervical screening test detects the HPV infection that can cause the abnormal cell changes, prior to the development of cancer. The recommended screening age for the HPV test is 25 to 74 years. The HPV test will be offered every 5 years (DoH 2017). A vaginal sample can also be taken by a woman, under supervision of her health-care professional (AIHW 2017).

Source and reference attributes

Submitting organisation:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Reference documents:

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2017. National Cervical Screening Program data dictionary: Version 1.0. Cancer series no. 103. Cat. no. CAN 102, Canberra. Viewed 14 August 2020, <http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129559625>

DoH (Australian Government Department of Health) 2017. National Cervical Screening Program. DoH, Canberra. Viewed 14 August 2020, <http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/internet/screening/>