Screening participation rates are expected to increase
With screening it is possible to identify both women who have a greater risk of cancer or who have proven cellular changes on the cervix, i.e. a precancerous condition, and women who have already been diagnosed with cancer.
Insured and uninsured women ages 30 to 65 are expected to be screened for cervical cancer every five years. Women who have had their cervix or uterus removed should also be screened. In this case it is also possible to perform an HPV screening test, including a home test: this is important because, in addition to cervical cancer, HPV increases the risk of vaginal and vulvar cancer.
In Estonia, screening has been organized since 2006, but unfortunately the incidence of cervical cancer has remained high. For screening to be effective, it is important that there is a sufficiently large participation of women in the target group: it should be above 70%.
According to the Cancer Screening Registry, the participation rate in cervical cancer screening in Estonia has mostly remained below 50%. We can observe a positive change and an increasing participation rate starting in 2021, when the possibility of undergoing a home HPV test was offered to participate in cervical cancer screening.
A home test is an effective way to prevent cervical cancer
In the case of screening based on the HPV test, it is possible to use a home test, which means that the woman can collect the sample necessary for screening herself at a convenient time and send it by post to the laboratory for analysis. Home HPV testing is already in use in several European countries, such as Sweden and the Netherlands, and more and more countries are planning to implement this testing method. The research results confirmed that a personally collected sample is as accurate and reliable as a sample taken by a healthcare provider in determining HPV.
2023-12-06 11:56:53
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