Like many women, Nadia found Indian model Poonam Pandey's faking of her death on Instagram for cervical cancer awareness "distasteful".
But the 21-year-old from Mumbai, who has been putting off getting her pap test, says the stunt has pushed her to get the screening, as well as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to help prevent the disease.
"I thought [the stunt] was very distasteful and disrespectful to a lot of people," Nadia (not her real name) tells the ABC.
"However disgusting it was, it spread more awareness than any campaign could ever do because of how strong and influential media is in India."
Nadia adds that Pandey's post would not likely have raised the same level of awareness if she had just been talking about cervical cancer generally.
Other women shared similar sentiments on Instagram, saying the post was "controversial", but it "raised awareness" and prompted them to book an appointment with their doctor.
Data from Google Trends shows a spike in the number of people in India searching for "cervical cancer" and "Poonam Pandey" on February 2 and the day after Pandey posted her fake death news.
Many trusted the post, with media outlets reporting the news within minutes.
'This intervention was necessary'
Despite the criticism, Pandey says she stands by her decision.
"Yes, I faked my demise, extreme I know. But suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer, aren't we?" Pandey wrote in a Instagram post.
"I want to assure you that this intervention was necessary.
"The deliberate effort made sure 'Cervical Cancer' got attached to 500 headlines in the same day."
Experts say cervical cancer isn't openly talked about in India because of the association with having sex.
But the world's most populous nation accounts for nearly one third of global cervical cancer deaths — or about 200 deaths per day, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2021.
When diagnosed and detected early, cervical cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer, the WHO says.
'People really only start listening after someone dies'
Siobahn Marie, an American now living in Malaga in Spain, shares a similar view to Nadia.
"I thought it was definitely tasteless but I will say, people really only start listening after someone dies," she tells the ABC.
"I get the point she [Pandey] was trying to make but still, it was very self-absorbed."
The 35-year-old says although she has kept on top of her regular pap tests over the years, she has always "felt anxious" about them.
"There’s always a risk of discovering something that could negatively affect my health, especially as I get older," she says.
"Things like cancer can happen to anyone, at any time, so this is something that sticks in the back of my mind."
'I felt sick to my stomach'
While Pandey's stunt raised awareness for some, most lambasted her — including some who had cervical cancer.
Christine Meier was one of them.
"I had stage three cancer and it was very close to the main artery, which meant I had to live with the fear of dying," she tells the ABC.
"I felt sick to my stomach when I saw the news of her fake death."
The Danish woman, who is a professional Bhangra dancer and choreographer — a folk dance and music that originated from Punjab in India — says Pandey's stunt does the opposite of raising awareness.
"Some people say that she’s made the world talk about cervical cancer. I don't agree," Ms Meier says.
"All we talk about was whether her stunt was brilliant or ethically wrong. Nobody seems to discuss the HPV vaccine."
'Stunts like this can erode trust'
Julia Brotherton, a professor of cancer prevention policy from the University of Melbourne, says stunts like Pandey's post "can erode trust".
"It made the conversation turn away from cervical cancer and instead, to manipulation and distrust in media," she tells the ABC.
But Professor Brotherton believes social media does have an important role to play.
"I think there is a role of social media and influencers in this space, which is why I think Ms Pandey could have done it in a much more positive way," she says.
"Such as, by telling the stories of women who successfully prevented this cancer, along with those who are battling it."
According to the WHO, India accounts for 21 per cent of the world's cervical cancer cases.
Professor Brotherton says this figure suggests the country isn't successfully preventing the disease.
She adds that her research on the health of Indian women in Victoria also found that cancer prevention is not something deeply rooted in their culture.
"It can be a culture that's very private when it comes to women's health," Professor Brotherton says.
"It takes a lot of community support, particularly from clinicians, to push the message to go and get screened."
Cervical cancer associated with 'sexual activity and promiscuity' in India
Zufishan Alam, from the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health, says many Indian women she interviewed for her research told her stigma prevented them from screening.
"Since the causation is widely attributed to sexual activity and promiscuity, talking about such behaviours is looked down upon in certain strata of the society," she says.
"South Asian culture is predominantly patriarchal, so pursuing prevention in the form of a pap test or HPV vaccination is also difficult, as some women are dependent on male figures in the family for finance or transport or permission.
"In certain subgroups, cultural norms such as modesty are also emphasised, not allowing females to get medical help such as pap tests from male doctors and practitioners."
Self-collection method could bridge the gap
Professor Brotherton says the use of a speculum, to look inside the vagina, could also defer some women.
"It's not the most easy thing for some women to process, especially in a culture that's very private about these issues," she said.
Professor Brotherton says some Indian women have told her they feel more comfortable about the self collection method, which was introduced in 2022.
"Self collection means a woman or person with a cervix can take their own vaginal sample and that looks to the HPV virus."
Cervical cancer mostly occurs as a consequence of HPV. There are more than 200 different types of HPV, but only a few types that affect the cervix, according to the Cancer Council.
What the self-collection method means is that some women don't need to have a clinician lie them down on a bed for a traditional examination.
"So it can feel a lot less threatening and can increase screening participation," Professor Brotherton says.
Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) statistics show in Australia the number of monthly self-collection services increased from 1,161 in July 2022 to more than 13,000 in April 2023.
However, the self-collection option will still involve a doctor.
If you choose self-collection, you will be given a private space to collect the sample, for example behind a curtain or in a bathroom, the Department of Health and Aged Care says on its website.
Having a healthcare provider involved in the process allows them to explain how to collect the sample and offer support.
The department says a self-collected sample from your vagina is just as accurate at detecting HPV as a clinician-collected sample taken from the cervix during a speculum examination.
Professor Brotherton said the self-collection option was key in encouraging more women to get screened.
"We've now got much better tools to prevent this disease and that's something we should be celebrating."
Women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 years of age are invited to have a cervical screening test every five years, the Department of Health and Aged Care says.