Hi. I’ve been housebound with chronic pain and an anxiety disorder for over two years, with no end in sight. I am due a smear test, and as I had abnormal cells on my last one, I do not want to delay. Are there any options available to me to have one at home? My dr is not very supportive of my housebound status so I do not want to discuss it with him as he’ll just say I have to go in to the surgery. Thanks in advance.
Hi Crouch7 and welcome
One option is HPV self sampling - kits can be bought on-line. If you test negative for HPV you won’t need a smear test and, in keeping with NHS guidelines, won’t need to get checked for another 3 years. If you test positive for HPV you will need a smear test so your cells can be checked, but you can cross that bridge if you come to it.
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Thank you for your reply Jazza. So, the only cells that lead to cervical cancer are HPV linked?
Nearly all (99.7%) of cervical cancer cases are caused by high-risk HPV:
https://www.jostrust.org.uk/information/hpv/hpv-cervical-cancer
The NHS tests smear samples for HPV in the first instance. Only if the sample tests positive for HPV are the cells then checked. This is known as HPV primary screening:
https://www.jostrust.org.uk/information/cervical-screening/primary-hpv-testing
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Thank you so much Jazza. That has really put my mind at rest. I was clear of HPV last time so hopefully this one will the same. I’ll search for home tests this afternoon xx
