Cervical Screening My Way - Women in England ask for at home screening kits
Earlier this year, a trial led by Kings College London to offer women a self-testing kit concluded it could boost the number of women undergoing cervical screening by 400,000 a year.
Women's views on self-testing kits
Healthwatch England research showed that when asked about the benefits of a self-testing kit, over half of respondents, 53%, chose "privacy", followed by "avoiding discomfort", 52%, and "easier to find time", 47%.
The findings also show that women's concerns about the accuracy of home testing would have to be addressed if it was rolled out.
What else would encourage women to take up cervical screening?
Women were also asked to choose out of 11 factors that would encourage them to take up cervical screening in the future. The most important for them were:
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Sensitivity from healthcare staff about worries women might have about the examination and previous experiences, 62%;
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A healthcare professional carrying out the screening being the same gender, 61%;
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Ease of travelling to the screening appointment location, 53%; and
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A wider choice of appointment times, for instance, in the morning or over weekends, 52%.
To read the full article, follow this link - https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/news/2024-09-16/women-england-want-home-cervical-screening-tests-nhs
