Health needs of women who have sex with women

Editor—With reference to the editorial by Hughes and Evans, we emphasise that the NHS cervical screening programme offers cervical screening to all women without inquiring about their sexual behaviour.¹

We agree that many women who have sex with women have, at some time, also had a sexual relationship with a man, and their risk is no less than for the majority of the population. Women who have never been sexually active with a man are equally entitled to cervical screening and may wish to discuss their situation with their general practitioner or sexual health adviser before making an informed decision about whether to participate in the programme or not.