31 May 2020

Key points

  • Uptake of cervical cancer screening is low in Hong Kong and in other countries, so the medical field has been looking for new ways to raise it. Self-sampling is one of the possibilities.
  • The HPV self-sampling test detects the genetic material of HPV, and so can tell whether you are infected with the virus.
  • It cannot detect cervical cell lesions, and so is not currently a standard screening method in Hong Kong.
  • Major research under way in Hong Kong and elsewhere shows the HPV self-sampling test to be a trustworthy method.
  • The test lets a woman collect a vaginal and cervical sample without any medical assistance. Australia and the Netherlands have already included it in their national screening programmes.