DIY Pap Smears?
November 3, 2011 2 Comments
Have you ever fancied a bit of vagina-based DIY, but lacked the tools?
No, I’m not talking about vibrators. We’ve been there, done that and bought the lubricant.
Researchers from the University of London would like us (women, I mean) to have access to a smear test we can perform ourselves, in our homes. Oh yes.
The test, which detects the human papillomavirus (the virus responsible for cervical cancer), is recommended by the Canadian Cancer Society for all sexually active women and was actually found to be easier to detect with the DIY kit than at the clinics. At present this involves a trip to a nurse or gynecologist. Not always an easy thing for women who live in remote areas or economically deprived communities. Or for those of us who hate the procedure.
Based on my early experiences of smear tests, which included a nurse who scowled into my vagina while weilding a deathly cold speculum and lecturing me about teenage promiscuity, and a student doctor who sneezed on me, this sounds like a great idea.
Not that a journey to the STI clinic is necessarily awful. I had some great banter with the last doctor who did my yearly checkup. She made the whole thing painless and even had a choice of flavoured condoms. Apparently she kept these in stock to “appeal to the lowest common denominator.”
The home test also sounds like a good resource for multitaskers. If I can drink coffee, write an article or watch X Factor while detecting the early signs of cervical cancer, everyone wins.
Contact the author here: miriam@morningquickie.com
Would you be more likely to get checked out if you could do it yourself?
Yep!