HPV urine test 'should be used instead of smear'

Women should have their urine tested instead of being given a cervical smear when doctors screen for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) - an STD which can lead to cancer, experts have said.

Researchers from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry found urine tests had "good accuracy" when it came to detecting HPV.

Of the 14 studies they examined, they found there was an 87% accuracy rate, and 94% of negative tests were correct.

Scientists hope adopting urine tests would boost HPV detection and save lives, as it is a less invasive and painful option than a cervical smear test.

Cervical cancer kills around 266,000 women globally, according to the World Health Organisation. While many strains of HPV are harmless, two of them - HPV 16 and HPV 18 - can trigger cancer.

Read: Cervical cancer screening age to be debated in Parliament