This is incorrect and misleading. This 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.
https://twitter.com/MattHancock/status/1364510176745836546
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 the 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 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 test, and we mustn't conflate them.
Here's a more detailed outline about what the HPV self-sampling pilot entails from @JoTrust jostrust.org.uk/about-us/news-…
@JoTrust And if you'd like to know more about what happens when you go for a smear test, our director told you all about hers in this thread yesterday.
https://twitter.com/vagina_museum/status/1364249774397005829
We've had a few people saying that smear tests are only testing for HPV - that's not quite true. The sample taken in a smear test is checked for HPV, and if they find it, they examine the sample further to look for abnormal cells.
If you're found to have HPV and abnormal cells, you'll be invited for another smear a year later to see if the HPV has cleared up. If you have abnormal cells, you'll be invited for a test called a colposcopy to investigate further.
This is what makes the self-sampling different: no samples of cells from the cervix are taken, so they cannot examine for cell abnormalities, and it's why if you're found to have HPV on a self-sampled vaginal swab, you'll need a smear test.
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