YouScreen - HPV self-sampling

Lack of attendance for cervical screening highlights other barriers, including embarrassment, fear, and dislike of pelvic examinations. These may be addressed by giving women the ability to collect their own samples for testing at a time and place of their choosing.

The YouScreen study was launched in February 2021 and ran until the end of 2021. It was developed and funded by the North Central London and North East London Cancer Alliances working in collaboration with King’s College London, NHS England / Improvement, Public Health England, UCL, NHS Digital and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.

The study aimed to test the feasibility of implementing HPV self-sampling for non-attenders, to improve uptake within the cervical screening programme in England.

Self-sampling kits were offered to women in Barnet, Camden, Islington, Newham and Tower Hamlets in two ways. Either direct mailing to women overdue their screening by 15 months, identified through the national cervical screening database, or through the GP practice for women overdue by at least six months. Completed samples were returned postage free for testing by the Cervical Screening London laboratory.

A woman’s screening record was updated according to their result. Any clinical management required followed existing processes in the screening programme.

More YouScreen information for GPs

More YouScreen information for members of the public