Self-testing is now available to any individual wishing to rule out conditions such as diabetes, pregnancy and bowel cancer.
Traditionally, however, screening for cervical cancer has required women to attend a GP surgery in order to have a small sample of cells scraped from the surface of their cervix by a doctor or a nurse. The sample is then sent to a laboratory to assess the cervical cells for any abnormalities (cytology testing) and/or to test for human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA. Some types of HPV may cause cervical abnormalities that can subsequently go on to develop into cervical cancer. Several studies over the past decade have also demonstrated the superiority of HPV DNA testing over cytology.
Around 20 per cent of women do not attend cervical screening for a number of reasons including, for example, difficulties relating to travel, childcare, work commitments and problems in accessing screening at an appropriate time and place. Others are put off by the potential embarrassment and discomfort of the whole process.
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