OwnScreen

Supported cervical screening from home.

How it works

If you get an SMS from Queensland Health inviting you to take part in OwnScreen, we can mail you a cervical screening test kit. You can collect your sample at home or any private and safe space. Collecting your own vaginal sample is safe and as accurate as having it done by a health professional.

Cervical screening tests for HPV (human papillomavirus). HPV is the virus that causes most cervical cancers. It’s a common virus and there are many types. Most of them are harmless, don’t cause symptoms and go away on their own. But some can cause cell changes that lead to cancer.

Cervical screening is one of the best ways you can protect yourself against cervical cancer.

OwnScreen is:

• free – your kit is free, and it won’t cost you anything to return it and get your results
• private – your kit will be mailed to the address you give us in plain packaging
• supported – there are instructions in your kit, and if you need any help you can contact one of our nurses over the phone.

If you haven’t got an SMS

You can only use OwnScreen if you get an SMS from Queensland Health inviting you to order a kit. If you don’t get one, talk to your GP or another health professional about other ways to screen.

Getting started

Follow these steps to do your cervical screening test at home.

1. Click on the link in the SMS

Your invitation link URL will end in health.qld.gov.au. The link will take you to a short online form for you to answer a few questions. We might need to call you to make sure OwnScreen is right for you.

We’ll mail your kit to the address you give us. If you don’t have a fixed address, use one where you can collect your mail. Your kit should arrive in about 2 weeks and will include:

• instructions
• a swab
• an envelope to return your sample.

2. Collect your sample

Follow the sample collection instructions (PDF, 771.8 KB) that are also in your kit.

3. Send it back to us

When you’ve collected your sample, mail it back using the pre-paid envelope. It’s best to send it within 24 hours. We’ll send you SMS reminders to remind you.

4. Get your results

You’ll get your results by phone or SMS about 4 weeks later. We’ll also send them to your GP or healthcare provider if you’ve given us their details. If you need any follow up care, one of our nurses will call you from a private number to explain what happens next.

Understanding your results

We’ll call you if you get a positive or unsatisfactory result. The National Cervical Screening Program also has information to help you understand your test results and what happens next.

A negative result

If you get a negative result, no HPV was found in your sample, and you don’t need to do anything.  You’ll get an SMS or letter before your next test is due, in about 5 years. See your GP sooner if you experience symptoms like abnormal vaginal bleeding, unusual discharge, or pain during sex.

A positive result

If you get a positive result, one of our nurses will call you and explain the results and any next steps. You may need to have a healthcare professional collect a sample from your cervix to see if there are any changes to your cervical cells. Or you may be referred to a specialist for more tests.

An unsatisfactory result

If you get an unsatisfactory result, it means the lab couldn’t read your sample and you’ll need to do the test again. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong and it can happen for a few reasons. The sample might not have had enough cells, or the test may not have worked for technical reasons. One of our nurses will call you and explain how to do another test.

Get help with OwnScreen

You can call us for support on 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84) Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. When you call, ask for OwnScreen.

We can help you with the online sign up form or give you more information about doing the test.

Other ways to screen

You don’t have to use OwnScreen. You can get a cervical screening test at a:

• GP clinic
• community health centre
• women’s health centre
• family planning clinic
• sexual health clinic
• an Aboriginal Medical Service or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.

Contact your healthcare provider to check when you’re due to be screened. If you don't have a health care provider, use healthdirect’s service finder to help you find one.

Collection notice

The Department of Health (‘Department’) is collecting your information in order to provide a telephone based and/or online health service. This data may be used for quality, research, and reporting purposes; your personal information is not connected with any of this data. Personal information collected by the Department is handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009. Your personal information will only be held on our approved/authorised systems. Your personal information may be disclosed to your treating Hospital and Health Service to support your continuum of care. By using this service, you are consenting for us to disclose your personal information to the relevant Hospital and Health Service. Your personal information will not be disclosed to other third parties without consent unless the disclosure is authorised or required by or under law. For any questions regarding this collection notice, please contact the Health Contact Centre via email HCC-AdminTeam@health.qld.gov.au. For information about how the Department protects your personal information, how to access or correct your own personal information, or how to make a complaint about a breach of the privacy principles and learn how we deal with such a complaint, please refer to: The Department of Health’s Privacy Policy.