By Kay Needle, Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Expert, Generali UK Employee Benefits

 An increasing number of employers are offering at-home, DIY, cervical cancer screening tests as part of their employee benefits programmes, according to anecdotal evidence from Check4Cancer, a leading early cancer detection company and one of Generali UK’s Wellbeing Investment Matching partners.

Could this help overcome the problem of working age women failing to attend their regular smear test?

Despite having a successful cervical cancer screening programme in the UK, which has helped cut the number of cervical cancer cases in half since it first launched in 1998, just over a third of those eligible for a test – including the age group most at risk – aren’t coming forward right now.*

Reasons for this are likely to be many and varied, from anxiety about the procedure to difficulties taking time off work. Another potential reason – one that has come about since the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination programme was introduced into UK schools – is that the younger generation might now think they are immune.

The HPV vaccine was first offered to all girls in school year 8 in September 2008. Then, from September 2019, it was also offered to year 8 boys. Evidence shows that the HPV vaccine helps protect both boys and girls from HPV-related cancers in later life, including cervical cancer, and some mouth and throat cancers.

To help explore the topic of cervical cancer screening and at-home tests, we recently caught up with Check4Cancer’s Consultant Gynaecologist Mr Jullien Brady, as part of a recent webinar.**

As well as being a leading expert Consultant Gynaecologist on cervical cancer, Jullien is a former Quality Assurance Director of the Cervical Screening Programme for Public Health England.

Here we include some of the highlights from our discussion.

Kay: So, why do you think not all eligible women are attending their smear test? And do you think the HPV vaccination programme has anything to do with this?

Jullien: It’s frustrating to have such a brilliant screening programme in the UK, yet incidence of cervical cancer isn’t falling to where we’d like, because a lot of women aren’t going for their test.

In some ways, it’s understandable. The position of the cervix means it’s inevitably an invasive test that many will find embarrassing. Other barriers to attending include difficulties getting an appointment – particularly considering women must avoid the time of their menstrual cycle.

Also, difficulties taking time off work. Not everyone wants to be open about the reason for time off, because of the perceived stigma, but neither do they want to spend a day’s valuable annual leave going for a test.

Kay: Why was the HPV vaccination programme introduced? And do you think this is contributing to the barriers to women attending their smear test?

Jullien: When screening for cancer, we used to look for subtle changes in the cells of the cervix; pre-cancerous changes that occur over a long time. If any changes are identified, we either monitor the situation or remove the cells where they are at a pre-cancerous stage.

It’s now realised that all cervical cancers are caused by HPV. This is a common virus we’re all exposed to as soon as we’re sexually active. There’s simply no way you won’t be exposed to it.

So, the NHS screening programme now looks for the presence of HPV first. If HPV isn’t present, there’s nothing more to be done. The result is negative. If HPV is found to be present, we would then look for any abnormalities in the cells. It’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean the individual has cancer, it simply means they might have some pre-cancerous cells, which can either be monitored or removed.

The HPV vaccination, being administered in schools, protects against some strains of cervical cancer, but not all. So, it effectively provides around a 70% assurance of protection against cervical cancer.

This might be leading to misunderstandings amongst young people that they are immune.

Kay: How can employers help remove or reduce these barriers we’ve been discussing?

Jullien: The great thing about improved understanding about the link between HPV and cervical cancer, is that the screening test has effectively been split into two stages. And this has opened the door to the development of at-home testing; a much simpler, less invasive and anxiety inducing option, that can be done at any time; even during your menstrual cycle.

Check4Cancer has been offering home testing for a decade now and it’s incredibly successful, with lots of great feedback.

Basically, this tests for the presence of HPV. It’s a very easy test that can be done yourself in the comfort and privacy of your own home, and it’s basically impossible to get wrong. It involves taking a tiny sample using a swab, which is then popped into a small container and sent away to be tested. The result is highly accurate.

If the result is negative, there’s nothing more to do. If it’s positive, the individual would need a follow-up appointment with their GP to have a test using a speculum (as per the normal smear test). However, it’s worth noting that at any one point in time, only 10% of the population will carry the HPV virus. In other words, there is only a 1 in 10 chance of needing that second stage test with the GP.

At Check4Cancer, we’re seeing an increasing number of employers including access to this test via their employee benefits programme, in a bid to do what’s best for employees. It gives individuals control, autonomy and simply makes their lives easier.

 

Sources:

*Cervical cancer incidence rates peak in the 30-34 age group. Yet, just over a third (34.2%) of the 11 million eligible women in the UK aged 25-49 failed to take up their cervical screening invitation within the recommended time, as at December last year (NHS England, 22 June 2024).

**To access a free recording of Generali UK’s full 30-min webinar, entitled ‘Cervical cancer screening – the vital role for employers’ in partnership with Check4Cancer, please email eb.enquiries@generali.co.uk

Disclaimer:

All information contained herein represents the views and opinions of the author as of the date of writing and is provided for general information only. Nothing herein constitutes or is intended to constitute financial or other form of advice and no individual should rely upon the information provided in making a specific investment decision without first seeking independent professional advice.

 

Related Companies