HPV

Is self-sampling as good as a clinician taking it?

Offered a self collected sample instead of the usual appointment. Convenient, but is it as reliable?

tide_line 3 weeks ago

NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

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second_tuesday 3 weeks ago

For HPV testing, self collected samples perform comparably to clinician collected ones, which is why programmes have started offering it. The test looks for the virus, and it does that well on a self collected sample.

The catch is the follow up: if HPV is found, you will usually still need an appointment for a closer look. Self sampling is a way into the pathway, not a replacement for all of it.

grey_morning 3 weeks ago

Follow the instructions exactly. The main way self sampling goes wrong is a sample that cannot be processed, and then you have to do it again anyway.

paper_lantern 3 weeks ago

For people who have avoided screening for years because of the appointment itself, this is the change that gets them tested at all. That is worth more than any small difference in the sample.

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