Self-collection
Self-collection is an option for all routine cervical screening participants. Support your patients to make their own informed cervical screening choice.
Who is HPV self-collection for?
Who is eligible for self-collection?
Self-collection is available as an option to all people eligible for a cervical screening test, that is, people who are:
- Aged between 25-74
- Are due or overdue for routine cervical screening
- Have no signs or symptoms suggestive of cervical cancer, and do not need a co-test for any other reason
- Patients undergoing Test of Cure after treatment of HSIL
- Patients who have had a total hysterectomy with history of HSIL and have not yet undergone Test of Cure
Who is not eligible for self-collection?
Self-collection is not appropriate for patients that require a co-test, for example because they:
- Have signs or symptoms suggestive of cervical cancer, including postcoital, intermenstrual or post-menopausal bleeding, or unexplained persistent unusual vaginal discharge
- Participants undergoing surveillance after completely excised adenocarcinoma-in-situ (AIS)
- Have been exposed to diethylstilbesterol (DES) in utero
Supporting patients to make the choice
You can feel confident that self-collection is a suitable choice to offer your patients.
Self-collection is an accurate, safe, and acceptable tool which can be utilised to overcome barriers patients may face in accessing the clinician-collected test with a speculum. Robust evidence published in 2018 tells us that when used with hrHPV assays based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), self-collection is just as accurate in the detection of HPV as the clinician-collected test.
Self-collection is highly acceptable among many women and people with a cervix in Australia, particularly among people who are under-screened or have never had a cervical screening test. A pilot study demonstrated that 85.7% of never screened or under-screened women and people with a cervix who declined a speculum examination agreed to HPV self-collection when the test was offered to them in a sensitive and culturally appropriate manner and with appropriate follow-up advice.
Supporting your patients to make an informed cervical screening choice is critical and will help Australia reach its goal of the equitable elimination of cervical cancer.
Register with VCS Pathology
Further support for practitioners
Visit our resource hub, designed for General Practitioners and healthcare providers, providing a range of educational resources on the National Cervical Screening Program. These materials aim to keep you informed about the latest clinical guidelines, support the adoption of HPV self-collection, and encourage active participation from your patients in screening efforts.
Clare's Story
Clare is a 42 year old LGTBIQ+ woman who was diagnosed with cervical cancer after a HPV self-collection test. She says the technique saved her life. In this video, Clare and her wife George share an important story about self-collection.
