National Cervical Screening Program – How to take your own Cervical Screening Test sample

This video explains how to take your own cervical screening test sample if self-collection is chosen as a screening option for a cervical screening test.

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There are just a few steps to collect your own Cervical Screening Test sample. Collecting your own sample is safe and accurate.

Your healthcare provider will explain how to take your own sample and you can ask them for help and advice any time. They can give you advice without looking, and if you make a mistake, that’s okay – you can ask to start again.

Have a look at the self-collection swab. It might not look exactly like this one, but you should see one end that you can hold, and another end for taking the sample. Don’t open it just yet.

When you’ve been given a private space to do the test, find a comfortable spot and pull down or take off your underwear.

Twist the cap and remove the swab from the packaging. Be careful to only hold it by the cap, and don’t put it down on anything. If you accidentally drop it, or the swab touches something, you can ask for another one.  

The swab has a line or a mark to show you how far to insert it. Gently insert the swab into your vagina a few centimetres up to the line. Rotate it gently for 10 to 30 seconds. This might be a bit uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt.

Remove the swab, replace it in the packaging, and seal the whole thing up.

And that’s it! Get dressed, and then return the self-collection swab to your healthcare provider. You can talk to them about what happens next, and how you’ll get your results

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