Kenyan women will no longer require pap smear test or invasive visual inspections for cervical cancer screening after the introduction of a new advanced DNA based technology that tests for high risk strains of the cancer causing virus.
The new self-sampling device can detect the prevalence of the Human Papilloma Virus in the vagina. It is believed the virus causes cervical cancer. According to a molecular scientist at Lancet Kenya Rabia Mukadam, the move will increase the uptake of screening since the self samples will seek to address privacy concerns among women.
“The brush that collects the sample does not even have to reach the cervix but just the inner parts of the birth canal making the procedure easier for women,” said Mukadam. Roche country manager Rajen Bhimaraj said the test known as the Evalyn brush is specifically modified to make the tests more comfortable for women where they can collect samples for testing in the comfort of their homes.
“After the test the bar-coded Evalyn brush can then be dispatched securely and even anonymously to the lab for testing with the results then delivered confidentially through email or SMS,” he said.
The previous procedure which required health personnel to insert a plastic or metal instrument to the cervix to help collect samples is required to be conducted annually at Sh1,200 while this new test will not be conducted every five years at Sh2,500- Sh3,000.
Although it is currently available at Lancet Laboratory in Nairobi, Roche says that it is looking to partner with government health facilities to make the services more accessible to women everywhere. “We do not want to be restricted to the public sector, that is why we are in talks with the ministry and insurance companies to make the services available to all women,” said Bhimaraj.
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