In 2019, more than 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed and upwards of 4,000 patients died in the U.S. The causal link between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the development of cervical cancer is well documented.
Cervical cancer screening guidelines are currently in the review process for updates. On May 15, 2024, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved patient-collected testing (vaginal self-collection) for HPV. Several countries, including the Netherlands and Australia, have introduced HPV self-collection as a part of their national screening programs. In a new study from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing, researchers found more than half of healthcare providers would definitely or possibly offer HPV self-collection to their patients if the FDA approved the procedure, indicating substantial acceptance of this technology among the healthcare provider community.
Healthcare providers felt that self-collection would be particularly beneficial for those who did not have access to clinician-collected screening, as well as for patients who may have difficulty with pelvic exams for any reason, such as those with history of trauma, sexual or gender minority patients and those with mobility issues." Rebecca B. Perkins, Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Boston University School of Medicine This study incorporated a mixed methods design including conducting a national.
