P-06-1397 Introduce an at-home smear test option in Wales
P-06-1397 Introduce an at-home smear test option in Wales
This
petition was submitted by Molly Fenton and Jessica Moultrie, having collected a
total of 1,543 signatures.
Text of Petition:
Cervical cancer is the
most common type of cancer in women under the age of 35. According to Cancer
Research UK, 99.8% of cases in the UK are preventable. Smear tests can save
lives by detecting any pre-cancerous changes early when treatment is more effective.
Currently there are barriers preventing women and those assigned female at
birth from accessing this service. England have trialled at-home smear tests,
and we believe the option in Wales can help break down these barriers and save
lives.
Additional Information:
There are reasons why
women don’t attend their cervical screening tests. Including but not limited
to:-
Embarrassment
Lack of education
Not identifying as a woman
Low perceptions of risk
Mistrust in health services
Cultural barriers
Concern over the procedure
Body image issues
Trauma - sexual assault, rape
Inconvenient appointment times
This was trialled in
London in 2021. Dr Anita Lim, from King's College London, who lead the
YouScreen trial, said:
"It is crucial that we find ways like this to make screening easier and
protect women from what is a largely preventable cancer. Self-sampling is a
game-changer. This simple and convenient swab means it can be done in the
privacy and comfort of your own home."
Welsh women's rights
Activist, Molly Fenton, says "Ideally we need a lot to change: better
education, stigma breaking conversations and reassurance around the procedure,
but in the short term this could save a lot of young lives. Especially 25 year olds
taking that first test.”
Senedd Constituency and
Region
- Cardiff
North
- South Wales Central
- The Petitions Committee homepage
- View all open petitions
- View all petitions the committee
is currently considering
- How the petitions system works
- Petition research briefs
Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
Status: For consideration
First published: 18/04/2024