Self-Sampling for HPV: Good or Bad?
As a woman, every 3 years from turning 25, we get invited for a Cervical Smear to check the health of our cervix through analysis of cells taken from that area. Though many believe this test is a test for cancer, a smear test is a preventative measure and is used to look for the HPV virus which can lead to cancer.
During this test a sample of cells is taken from the cervix by manner of a swab then sent for analysis to check for abnormal cells. The test takes around 5 minutes and for a lot of women is a quick and painless experience. However, for women with other issues, whether it be cultural, religious, medical, emotional, or physical, the process can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, painful and even traumatic leading many women to put off, or worse still, avoid getting a smear test altogether. Speaking from my own experiences, I have avoided getting my smear test done for an array of different reasons but the most prevailing for me has been down to mental health and anxiety.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics have shown that in 2020 there has been a decrease in the number of women attending their Cervical Screening test, a drop of 6.8% in women between the ages of 25 to 64 when compared to the year 2019. In a move to encourage more women to get tested, NHS England have rolled out a test that can be done from home, for free, and is being offered to more that 31,000 women across the age group 25-64 who are 15 months or more late for a test.
The home test means that many women can carry out a test in the comfort of their own home when it is convenient to them. But whilst this is being called a home smear test in a tweet by health secretary Matt Hancock, it is fairly misleading. A post by @vagina_museum on Instagram has this to say,
“This tweet from Matt Hancock is incorrect and misleading. The new pilot study is not cervical screening, and is not a smear test, and is not a replacement for a smear test. It’s self-sampling for HPV from a vaginal swab. It’s impossible to perform a smear test on yourself unless you are incredibly flexible and have absolutely perfect aim to hit your cervix. Cervical smears are a procedure which you need someone to do for you, and you need that person to know what they’re doing. The self-sampling pilot isn’t cervical screening. Those who receive kits are taking a swab from their vagina to check for Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a virus which can cause cervical cancer. People whose sample contains HPV will then be asked to go for a standard smear test. The study is targeting people who haven’t responded to invitations from their GPs to come in for a smear test. It’s not a replacement for cervical screening, it’s a way of reaching those who are not having their smears. This isn’t just us being contrary. Terminology matters. A self-sampled vaginal swab checking for HPV is entirely different to a cervical smear, and we mustn’t conflate them.”
So, what does this mean for women? I believe that being able to do a self-sampling swab test, even one that is not a smear test, if it can reach women that are avoiding their invite, and give a better idea of who is likely to be more at risk of cervical cancer, can only be a good thing. This is a positive move in better understanding women’s health and is a step towards getting tests done. Women miss these tests for all kinds of reasons and having a test that can be done at home, whilst not a smear test, but one that indicates the presence of HPV, is surely a step in the right direction.
I do think that @vagina_museum is right in pointing out that the test is not a cervical smear and can not replace a smear test, and indeed, that we need to be careful with terminology, but there is a bigger picture that we need to focus on, and that is reaching more women to be tested. The next move would be to focus on why women are missing their tests and finding ways to re-assure and encourage more women to get a cervical smear.
Written by Suzi Tench
Suzi has a degree in Photographic Art, works as a Payments Officer, is a part-time blogger, loves colour and her dog Roxy.
