From this year, the screening process for cervical cancer will change.
Until now, screening has begun either from the age of 18, or within two years of becoming sexually active.
But under the new guidelines, women will be advised to begin pap smears after they turn 25.
While experts have welcomed the advent of new technologies, some say the change could mean more young women do not have cervical cancer diagnosed until the disease has become more advanced.
Dr Andrew Zuschmann from the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says the changes are due to the successful Human Papillomavirus Vaccination program, which has eradicated most strains of the virus that lead to cervical cancer.
"The technology behind the current, or soon-to-be old, screening program is almost 100 years old. We've learned a lot about pap smears and cervical cancer since that time."
Only one in 100,000 women under the age of 25 develops cervical cancer.
In a statement, the federal health department says:
"The HPV vaccination has already been shown to reduce cervical abnormalities among women younger than 25 years of age and... is ultimately expected to reduce cervical cancer in this age group."
The new cervical cancer screening program launches nationwide in May.
