The Well Woman Centre has warned that people may be putting their health at risk by not getting regular screenings.
Announcing the organisation's annual report today, chief executive Alison Begas said last year was the first year in a decade in which its centres saw a decline in numbers accessing services, including checks for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
1,600 attended Well Woman clinics for screenings last year, compared with 3,000 in 2007.
Ms Begas said the decline was probably due to the recession and she warned that delaying these checks can have serious long-term implications.
She said if infections are left untreated, they can result in complex and severe problems including infertility.
