KAPIT, Some women in the state still feel embarrassed or afraid to undergo human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA screening for cervical cancer, despite it being offered free of charge at the Nur Sejahtera Clinics under the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN). Sarawak LPPKN Clinical head Dr Alina Ali said that considering the state's geography and vast size, the agency also faces challenges in ensuring the self-administered HPV DNA test is conducted throughout Sarawak, especially in rural and remote areas. 'Awareness in the state is at a good level, but there are still some who are eligible for the test who say they are not ready and are afraid, or prefer not to know their health status. 'Our target for Sarawak is 30,000 HPV DNA tests this year, and we are collaborating with the Sarawak Health Department. As of mid-September, we have reached between 12,000 and 13,000 tests,' she told Bernama when met at the Kasih Keluarga Ceria Programme at the Dewan Masyarakat Melayu Kapit here. According t o her, LPPKN is actively conducting awareness programmes to educate Malaysian women on how to perform the self-administered test, as well as to explain the differences between the HPV DNA test, pap smear screening, and the HPV vaccine to the public. 'The HPV DNA test is painless and easy to perform on your own, similar to the COVID-19 swab test. However, for HPV, it's a vaginal swab and needs to be repeated every five years. For those who test positive for HPV, it should be done periodically, every six months to once a year,' she said. The HPV DNA screening initiative is provided free of charge for female citizens or permanent residents aged between 30 and 65. As of Aug 20, a total of 139,293 women nationwide have benefitted from the screening programme since it was introduced in 2019. Out of the 31,728 screenings conducted in Sarawak, 2,132 cases of HPV have been detected, while 46 cases were confirmed as precancerous, and five cases as cervical cancer. The Kasih Keluarga Ceria Programme is being held i n conjunction with the Kembara KASIH 2024 by the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development, taking place across Sarawak from Sept 14 to 21. Source: BERNAMA News Agency