People in B.C. will have improved access to cervical cancer screening as a provincewide cervix self-screening program launches, including the option to screen at home, a first in Canada.

Beginning Jan. 29, 2024, women and individuals from 25 to 69 with a cervix can choose to order a kit to self-screen for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, or have their screening sample collected by a health-care provider.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. Rates of cervical cancer are among the fastest increasing among females in Canada but it is preventable through immunization and screening programs. Ninety-nine per cent of cervical cancers are caused by high-risk HPV.

The self-administered HPV test means that patients can easily self-collect a sample at home or at their health-care provider’s office. This is an expansion to the pilot program launched in 2021, when people in specific communities could order cervix self-screening kits.

You can read more on the self-screening program at the link here.