Self-collection:
A new frontier in HPV screening
Cervical cancer continues to be a leading cause of disease-related death. In the U.S., where regular screening for cervical cancer is widely available, mortality rates have fallen by 70 percent since the 1950s.
Cervical cancer is almost always caused by persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV 16 and HPV 18, which account for about 70 percent of cases.
Current guidelines for cervical cancer screening recommend HPV testing every five years for women ages 30 to 65. For younger women ages 21 to 29, a Pap test every three years continues to be the gold standard for cervical cancer screening. While primary HPV testing every five years is one of the recommended options for women ages 30 to 65, co-testing and Pap testing alone are also acceptable alternatives.
In December 2024, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (UPSTF) released a new draft recommendation for cervical cancer screening that includes three screening methods — HPV tests, Pap tests (cytology), and co-testing (Pap and HPV) — to help detect early signs of the disease.
Two primary HPV self-collection tests were approved by the FDA last May. For the first time, UPSTF has also included self-collected HPV tests in its draft cervical cancer screening guidelines starting at age 30.
Under the draft guideline, females would be able to collect their own samples using a swab in a healthcare setting.
There are barriers for some patients to screening tests that require a speculum exam — and that leads to lower screening rates in those populations. UPSTF anticipates self-collection will increase screening rates among those who experience discomfort during traditional screening methods.
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