Your Cervical Screening Test

National Cervical Screening Program - Cervical screening explained

1:55

[Music]

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 anytime

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 swap 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 centimeters 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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