WOMEN in their forties are being urged not to delay preventative health checks, as a new Women Out Loud podcast episode highlights the real-life barriers keeping many from booking in.
Hosted by Surf Coast Women’s Health Group practitioners GP Dr Niamh Logue, women’s health physiotherapist Courtney Weybury and nurse Amy McElgunn, the episode centres on screening, access to care and the realities of juggling health alongside work, family and finances.
Dr Logue shares her own experience of recently having her first mammogram, admitting even with her clinical background, she had delayed it.
“I feel like I was really late to that party,” she said.
She attributes the delay to life admin and a common fear that the procedure would be painful, something she says was not her experience.
“I was in no way uncomfortable… it didn’t hurt,” Dr Logue said.
The discussion highlights how even well-informed women can postpone screening when they are not experiencing symptoms.
Weybury says preventative care is often deprioritised in the absence of an immediate concern, while McElgunn says cost, access and wait times across public and private systems can shape when women seek care.
Dr Logue explains that while mammograms are available from age 40, women are not routinely invited into the national screening program until age 50. She also notes the increasing role of breast density in assessing cancer risk.
“We’ve become very much aware that women with very dense breast category D breasts do have a higher incidence of breast cancer,” she said.
Beyond breast screening, the episode outlines other key programs available to women.
Bowel cancer screening can now be accessed from age 45, while cervical screening is recommended every five years from age 25.
Dr Logue says rising bowel cancer rates in younger people are placing pressure on the system.
“Public colonoscopy wait times are probably most pressured,” she says.
The hosts also discuss how newer options, including telehealth and self-collection cervical screening, are helping remove barriers for some women.
McElgunn says the shift to self-collection has made a noticeable difference in participation.
“People are just going to the bathroom and then just dropping off their self collect,” she says.
Dr Logue agrees the option has improved screening rates, particularly for women who may have previously avoided the test.
“It definitely helps collection rates,” she says.
The episode also highlights how the Surf Coast Women’s Health Group is expanding its use of telehealth, allowing the team to reach new patients and more women beyond the immediate local area.
The shift is aimed at improving access for patients who are time-poor or unable to attend in person, while maintaining continuity of care.
Across the discussion, the message is consistent: preventative care needs to be prioritised, even when life is full.
The latest episode of Women Out Loud is available on major podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The episode encourages women to take advantage of available screening programs and evolving care options, reframing health checks as essential rather than optional.
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