Yes, it’s that easy

Prevention is in your hands

If you are eligible and want to collect your own sample, your healthcare provider will give you a swab and instructions.

A self-collected sample is taken from the vagina so you don’t need to worry about reaching the cervix or ‘getting the right spot’. All you need to do is insert a swab a few centimetres into your vagina and rotate it for 20 to 30 seconds.

You will be given a private space, such as a bathroom, to collect your sample.

Who is eligible for self-collection?

Self-collection is available to all people eligible for a Cervical Screening Test – that is people who:

• are aged between 25 and 74
• have had any type of sexual contact
• are a woman / person with a cervix
• are due or overdue for routine cervical screening

When due, you should get a Cervical Screening Test even if you:

• have had the HPV vaccine
• are not currently or are no longer sexually active
• have had the same partner for a long time or only had one partner
• are gay, lesbian, or bisexual,
• are transgender or non-binary with a cervix
• are pregnant
• have had a baby
• have been through menopause
• feel healthy and have no symptoms.

Because self-collection looks for HPV only – not cervical cell abnormalities – it is generally not appropriate for people who have symptoms of cervical cancer or if you are experiencing unusual bleeding, pain or discharge.

You should speak to your doctor about whether self-collect is the right option for you.