LAUSR

To the Editor: Selfcollected vaginal samples are as effective as cliniciancollected cervical samples for detecting underlying cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or higher (the target lesion of cervical screening) using polymerase chain reactionbased oncogenic human papillomavirus DNA assays.1 However, the use of selfcollection within Australia’s cervical screening program is currently restricted to women who are underscreened or never screened (at least 2 years overdue, so 4 years since their last Pap test), aged ≥ 30 years and refuse a cliniciancollected sample. This is because, at the time the current policy was developed, selfcollection was believed to result in a small loss of sensitivity. Accredited laboratories are not permitted to test samples that do not meet these requirements.