At home smear test: why the NHS is offering DIY cervical screenings in the UK – and where they’re rolling out

More than 31,000 women will be given at-home smear test kits to carry out in their own home, rather than having the test conducted by a health professional in a GP surgery or health centre.

It is the first time home screening has been trialled in the NHS in England, and health officials said that if the trial is successful it could be rolled out across the NHS in England.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

How will the trial work?

Kits will be sent in the post to women aged 25-64 years who are 15 months overdue for a check and live in the London Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Islington, Newham and Tower Hamlets – where screening appointment attendance is low.

Women who are six months overdue for their test and attend GPs surgeries involved with the trial will also be offered an at-home kit.

Dr Anita Lim, from King’s College London – who is leading the study, said: “We know many women aren’t coming forward for screening and almost half of women in some parts of London aren’t up to date with their cervical screening."

Women taking part in the YouScreen trial, which is being jointly run by NHS England, Public Health England (PHE) and King’s College London, will follow the instructions on the test and then post their swabs back for analysis.

They will receive their result in the post, and if HPV is detected they will be contacted for a follow-up appointment.

“It’s an intimate procedure and a variety of barriers can stop people from attending, even though it can be a life-saving test,” added Dr Lim. “This simple and convenient swab means it can be done in the privacy and comfort of your own home.”

The YouScreen study will run until December 2021.

Why is the trial being conducted?

It is hoped that the move will encourage more people to take the tests, which look for strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of most cases of cervical cancer.

Previous studies have suggested that women may not attend appointments due to embarrassment, fear of the test or cultural barriers, so it is hoped that conducting the test at home will help encourage more people to take the test.

“This is an important new way to make screening easier for thousands of women,” said Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer for the NHS in England.

“We know there are lots of reasons why women might not attend a screening appointment, including worries about Covid… these home kits give thousands of women another option to keep up to date with their screening.”

“We would urge every woman to make sure they have their smear test – the earlier HPV is detected the better. It could save your life.”

Could the trial be expanded?

Ruth Stubbs, National Cervical Screening Programme manager at PHE, said: “PHE is also working on a clinical validation study to inform a larger national evaluation of HPV self-sampling at home.

“This work together with the findings from the YouScreen London study, will provide data from England to inform the UK National Screening Committee on the potential impact of offering HPV self-sampling on the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer,” she added.

Self-sampling is already offered in countries such as Australia and Denmark.