Full Primary HPV Testing Introduced In NI

Full primary HPV testing has been officially introduced to the cervical screening pathway, bringing Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Between 2016 and 2020 in NI, an average of 81 people were diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and there were around 21 deaths from cervical cancer annually. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with human papillomavirus, known as HPV.

Welcoming the introduction by the the Northern Ireland Cervical Screening programme, Dr Joanne McClean, Director of Public Health at the Public Health Agency (PHA), said: "This is a significant milestone for cervical screening and will increase our ability to detect early cell changes that could lead to cancer. Our screening programme is very effective and over the past three decades has saved many lives, and this step forward in how we deliver the programme is great news.

"The way the smear test is carried out will not change, and it's important that women attend for cervical screening when invited. The only difference is that now, all samples will be checked for the high-risk types of HPV in the first instance, and if the virus is found to be present, the sample will then go for further examination. This is a more agile and focused model which will also enable results to be delivered for most women much more quickly.

"Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented thanks to screening and we are confident that this method of testing will enable us to drive down rates of cervical cancer in Northern Ireland further, along with the ongoing delivery of the HPV vaccination programme. We continue to strongly urge women to attend for cervical screening when invited as it could be life-saving."

Professor Lourda Geoghegan, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health welcomed the full introduction of HPV testing: "The full integration of primary HPV screening signals a new era for cervical screening in Northern Ireland. The programme is now using a test which is more effective at detecting who is at higher risk of developing cervical cancer and will help save more lives.

"This programme development was set out in our Cancer Strategy for Northern Ireland and it is encouraging to see it now fully implemented in our cervical screening pathway."

Martin Hunt, Chief Executive at Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, added: "We're thrilled that primary HPV screening is being introduced in Northern Ireland. This more sensitive and more effective test will help identify those at a higher-risk from an earlier stage, and will prevent more cervical cancers and save lives. For more information about HPV, cervical screening, screening results, and cervical cancer, visit www.jostrust.org.uk."

Cervical screening, as with all screening programmes, doesn't guarantee that cancer will not develop in the future, although it significantly reduces the chance. A cancer could develop between screening tests, and there is a small chance that the screening test misses some changes in the cervix.

Anyone who is concerned about symptoms, should seek advice from their GP, even if they attend regularly for screening. Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer can include any of the following:

• vaginal bleeding after sex, between periods or after the menopause;

• vaginal discharge that is not normal for them;

• persistent back or tummy pains;

• pain during sex.

Northern Ireland's cervical screening programme will now be significantly strengthened through the introduction of primary HPV testing. Continued high uptake of this screening programme, together with maintaining a high uptake of HPV vaccination, will help ensure we continue to drive down cervical cancer rates further in Northern Ireland.