Smear tests only being sent off if HPV is detected.

[Motheroffive999]

Is it correct that smear tests are disposed of rather than being sent away unless the HPV virus is detected?
If so do you think smear tests should be done differently ?
What's your view?
Thank you in advance.

I read it as CIN3 diagnosed prior to HPV testing, follow up tests since then were HPV negative. What does old style smear test mean?

”I have always been hpv negative however with the old style smear test, on my first ever smear, I was diagnosis with cin3 cells. I received treatment and regular smears following this for 5 years.”

@TooManyNiblings how do you know it will be negative? I had high risk hpv detected 2 smear tests ago and had to have a follow up one 1 year later that showed the hpv had cleared. I'm 51 with a husband I've been with since I was 19 years old.

I read it as she was always HPV negative, including before and after her smear test - by old style she is referring to pre2019 when all slides were checked for cell changes.

Well this is good to know. Just had my smear test letter but as not sexually active and haven’t been for years and only had one partner in 25 years who has also only had one partner (me) guess i won’t bother going.

In the past, they were a separate STI test. I have known my HPV negative status since 1995. It was a regular screening test we got when pregnant too.

Thanks for posting these findings. I can see they’ve looked at acceptability of self-sampling and best option device for collection.

But I find it incredibly frustrating that HPV self-sampling validation vs clinician and speculum collection is moving at such glacial pace. There is really no excuse for this as they could have used the population sample they had fur the studies above.

Cancer research showed studies by Prof. Peter Sasceini (I might have spelled that wrong) over a decade ago which demonstrated efficacy of self sampling which needed to be tested a larger scale. www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-study-looking-at-hpv-self-testing-for-women-who-have-not-been-for-cervical-screening#undefined

@Motheroffive999 My opinion is we should move to self sampling for HPV screening. It is less invasive, there would be better uptake, lower costs and less pressure on NHS appointments. Since NHS moved to just HPV testing, I have opted self-test once a year using a well known company. If I ever find a positive or questionable result, I’ll go to the GP.

My niece had high risk hpv with cell changes detected on her first ever smear aged 25. She's having to go for a colposcopy

I agree

My opinion is we should move to self sampling for HPV screening. It is less invasive, there would be better uptake, lower costs and less pressure on NHS appointments.

I don’t agree. Most women would be swabbing their vagina not their cervix, so there would be a lot of false negatives.

I think it would be helpful if that poster clarified the timeline of test type, before and after CIN3 diagnosis.

I’m guessing you may not be based in the UK then as the CSP only started the pilot studies in 2001.

? The HPV test has been around since the 1980s.
the smear test has been around since before I wa born.

The pilot studies you are talking about are when they first linked HPV to most cervical cancers.

It’s passed through sexual contact with someone who has it isn’t it? Seeing as I haven’t caught it in over 20 years with my one sexual partner I think it’s fairly unlikely I’d get it now especially as not having sex.

if I was younger, more sexually active, didn’t have a long term partner then yes I’d still have a smear. Hope your niece is ok.

That’s not evidenced yet, so not true.
Pilot studies have suggested good self-sampling efficacy, but a higher sample is needed.
Regards testing for a HPV, only a high vaginal swab is required to collect a HPV sample, not a cervical brush.

I agree it’s not been studied yet, in which case we don’t know if it is true or not true. However, I don’t think I am underestimating the anatomical knowledge and ability of many women to be able to do a proper “high vaginal swab” when I see very often women referring to their labia or vulva or clitoris as their “vagina”

I never missed a smear test and never tested positive for HPV but I got stage 2 cervical cancer. I'm glad I went for the smear tests though as felt that I did everything I could have done.
Smear tests are designed to be a preventative against cancer- not to diagnose it. I've told so many people about this as the awareness is lacking - a lot of people (me included before diagnosis) thought smear tests did test for cancer, and now it's only HPV. HPV is the cause for 98% ish of cervical cancer but what about the other 2%?!?! (I know many diagnosed with cervical cancer that didn't have HPV detected).
HPV can also lay dormant for decades! X

I was HPV negative.

Yes they did. Probably depends on where you are in the country? Maybe your NHS didn't?

I was the same, CIN 3 and HPV negative. This change really worries me, not for myself (I had a radical hysterectomy last year) but so many women will slip through the net due to this cost cutting exercise.

Most women know where to stick a tampon so they’ll know where to stick a swab.
Those who don’t are likely to have learning difficulties, in which case, a surgery visit would be better.
Women know well that when they go for a smear test that they’re not getting their vulva and clit swabbed. It’s invasive and that’s why people don’t go.

Yes, those women know because they’ve had one done to them before.

I was diagnosed with CIN3 the old style 'smear' the old style smear was checked for cell changes under a microscope. The new style only checks for HPV and not cell changes (unless there's a prolonged infection of high risk hpv)

After the cin3 diagnosis, I was given a full std screening and HPV was included in this. Follow up smears were also checked for HPV according to my results.

Yes they did. Before this change I had a positive HPV result following a smear (despite having had the vaccine).

This seems sensible to me as a non- scientist.

Smear tests are designed to be a preventative against cancer- not to diagnose it.

That's the thing. The old style test used to diagnose it. Now it only tests for hpv.