The Australian government’s renewed cervical screening program (due to begin in May 2017), recommends that women should start HPV-based screening for cervical cancer at age 25, not age 18-20 as is currently the case. Ahead of this change, the Medical Journal of Australia has published this study which analyses the trends in incidence of cervical cancer by age.
It was found that between 1988–1990 and 2008–2010, cervical cancer incidence fell substantially in women aged 25–49 and 70 years or over, but plateaued in women aged 25–69. The authors concluded that although women aged 20–24 years have been included in the National Cervical Screening Program since its inception, "no significant impact on cervical cancer incidence was observed in this age group". They also found that the NCSP has had a substantial impact on overall cervical cancer incidence.
Megan Smith, Karen Canfel (2016). Impact of the Australian national cervical screening program in women of different ages. Medical Journal of Australia: 205(8): 359-64. doi:10.5694/mja16.00289
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