A Breast Screening Shawl to Help Aboriginal Women Feel More Comfortable and Culturally Safe

Background: It is recommended that Australian women aged 50-74 have a breast screen every two years. Aboriginal women have lower breast screening participation than the general population, and face barriers at a system, service and individual level including:• Cultural: lack of cultural awareness/safety at screening services• Fear: historical apprehension about health services due to the after effects of colonization and intergenerational trauma• Shame: feeling embarrassment/shame at being undressed in front of a stranger• Past experience: having a past unpleasant breast screen, or hearing about someone else'• Knowledge: lack of knowledge about screening• Logistics: not knowing service provider locations or limited access to transport During a 2016 project between BreastScreen Victoria (BSV) and Women's Health West, Aboriginal women discussed the need for a shawl to cover them during screening. This idea is based on a successful New Zealand model. Based on this, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VA...