Simply, a colonoscopy is a medical procedure where a specialist checks the inside of the colon and rectum using a long, flexible tube with a light and camera. This helps detect growths in the bowel, bowel cancer, inflammation, digestive issues, and other issues.

Yikes. It doesn’t sound like the kind of tool you may be used to! Worry not, you don’t need to be a size queen to do a colonoscopy!

You can be sedated, and the procedure usually takes less than an hour.

Why are colonoscopies important?

News just in, bowel cancer is one of Australia’s most preventable cancers. People aged 45-74 should screen for free every 2 years with a bowel cancer screening test kit through the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. Early detection literally saves lives.

The bowel cancer screening test is your simple first-line test to detect bowel cancer. A colonoscopy is a follow-up procedure if your screening test is positive.

Bowel cancer screening can actually prevent bowel cancer from developing and it can detect early-stage bowel cancers which are more treatable.

A colonoscopy is usually recommended for people with bowel-related symptoms or at higher-than-average risk, including those with:

• A positive bowel screening test result
• Family history of bowel cancer
• Personal history of polyps or inflammatory bowel diseases
• Other bowel-related symptoms such as changes in bowel habits, anaemia, prolonged rectal bleeding etc

Wanna know about how anal sex and colonoscopy interact? Check out this blog!

For more resources, visit:

Free Bowel Cancer Screening Test Kit – Cancer Institute NSW

LGBTQ+ Bowel Cancer Screening & Prevention Info | CAN WE

Why LGBTQ+ folks shouldn’t skip the bowel screening kit (and how to get past the ick factor) – Can We