“I want to demystify the colposcopy process for women so they can feel more confident about it,” says Natasha Mahon, Clinical Midwife Manager (CMM2) and accredited colposcopist working at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin.

Having initially trained in midwifery and post-natal care, Natasha established a “real interest in colposcopy and cervical cancer treatment and prevention.”

Natasha works closely with a multidisciplinary team, who she says are “compassionate, encouraging, and supportive of women’s healthcare.”

Explaining that it’s a “rewarding job,” Natasha outlines how, when she meets a woman and begins taking her medical history, her focus on putting her mind at ease.

“I want to pick away at the assumptions many women have coming into colposcopy. Developing a trusting relationship with women from that first conversation is important. Colposcopy is an intimate exam with a stranger. We know that women can be worried and anxious, and sometimes scared about attending.”

Women are offered a colposcopy appointment if their CervicalCheck screening test finds they have the human papillomavirus (HPV) and abnormal cells in the cervix, or if HPV is found on successive screening tests where cell changes have not been evident. Colposcopy is an examination to look at the cervix to check if further treatment is needed.

“It’s my job to reassure women. To take that time to talk through those anxieties and answer any questions. I get asked questions like, ‘what is HPV’ and ‘how did I get it?’ Women who have been going for their screening for years often say they are shocked that they are in colposcopy. So for me it’s about reassuring them that they have done the right thing.

“This is why screening and the pathway to colposcopy is there, to catch abnormal cells before they become cancerous. It's important to talk to women about reducing their risk of developing cervical cancer. As healthcare professionals, we love an educational moment with our patients. I always advise women to attend their cervical screening every time they’re invited and to attend any follow-up tests needed.

“My background is midwifery, and I use opportunities such as Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to further educate midwives about HPV. Last year I set up an information stand in the National Maternity Hospital to highlight CervicalCheck to women and health care colleagues, and reinforce how confident we can be in the HPV cervical screening test.”

Overall, Natasha stresses that “we should all stand behind screening. Women’s healthcare is my passion, and we’re lucky to live in a country that has a world-class cervical screening programme. Ireland has committed to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 so this is an exciting time. I look forward to the day when I’m treating less women.”

Learn more about CervicalCheck and Ireland’s action plan to eliminate cervical cancer