Anyone eligible for a Cervical Screening Test under the National Cervical Screening Program (i.e., women and people with a cervix aged 25-74 years who have ever had any sexual contact) can choose to screen either through self-collection of a vaginal sample using a simple swab (unless a co-test is indicated), or clinician-collection of a sample from the cervix using a speculum.
The NCSP Clinical Guidelines recommend that all women due for cervical screening in pregnancy may be offered the option to self-collect a vaginal sample for HPV testing. A Cervical Screening Test using a self-collected vaginal sample is as accurate as a clinician-collected sample taken from the cervix during a speculum examination.
