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Health on Female First
Recent research uncovered that 5,346,000 women are no up to date with their cervical screening appointments. Incredibly 1.1 million admit they have never had a smear test, with pain, embarrassment and struggling to get to an appointment chiefly to blame.
GynaeHealth UK has launched GynaeCheck (a new, at-home, self-sampling device) for the 70% of UK women who believe that a self-collecting alternative should be offered to women of all ages. The research, commissioned by GynaeHealth UK to launch their Target 100,000 campaign reveals the average UK woman is 672 days late for her smear test appointment. For many the anxiety around smear tests could be alleviated if they were able to comfortably collect their own sample.
Consultant Gynaecologist Mr Jullien Brady says "The Target100,000 campaign is about saying to the 1 million women who don't have smear tests, there is another option. If just 10% of these women take GynaeCheck we will have 100,000 more women engaged in cervical screening."
GP and Media Medic, Dr Pixie McKenna says "Busy women who struggle to make time for non-emergency health appointments should consider GynaeCheck which can be completed in three seconds in the comfort and privacy of their own homes."
GynaeCheck is a self-sampling device which detects the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancers. GynaeCheck has been expertly developed by gynaecologists, is highly accurate and has been used effectively by over 30,000 women across the globe. The GynaeCheck device is narrower than the speculum used by doctors and collects a fluid that has rinsed the cervix rather than a cervical brush sample, which makes it less painful than the traditional smear test.
Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said "It's vital that women attend their free NHS cervical screening when invited as this is the best way to reduce the risk of cervical cancer. For those who find it daunting, there have been some positive results from small HPV self-testing trials and we are now calling for larger trials which, if positive, we hope will be implemented by the NHS in the future."
Women who test positively for HPV are at a higher risk of developing cervical cancer and will be referred to their GP or gynaecologist for further cytology testing to check for abnormal (pre-cancerous or cancerous) cells. Women with a negative (or clear) result are advised to test again in two years' time.
The reasons for avoiding the smear test appointment are many and varied. While only a small minority surveyed cited trauma related to sexual abuse, it is surprising that 80% women find this routine test uncomfortable or painful.
83% of women aged 25-29 find smear tests embarrassing and 40% find it hard to get an appointment, with 1 in 10 claiming they find it impossible. However for women aged 50+, pain is the big issue. 94% describe the procedure as painful and a further 52% say they do not like the speculum equipment. Worryingly 18% of this age group claim 'nothing will persuade them to go.'
Dr Pixie McKenna says "With GynaeCheck the woman is in complete control and the size of the device is useful in post-menopausal women who can experience vaginal discomfort when the speculum is used."
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