All women in the cervical cancer screening program will be eligible for self-collection from next year after the Federal Government accepted a recommendation from the Medical Services Advisory Committee.

Currently, vaginal self-swabbing for HPV DNA is restricted to women who have never been screened and those aged 30 or over who are two or more years overdue.

But earlier this year, the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) recommended ditching the restrictions to boost screening rates.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt announced on Monday that the government had accepted the recommendation and would roll out new MBS items from 1 July 2022.