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Preferences Among U.S. Women for Cervical Cancer Screening with Self-Collected Specimens for Human Papillomavirus
Jin Qin1, Gladys Martinez, Hunter K Holt
1Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; the Division of Health Interview Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland; the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Healthcare Value, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; and the Department of Health Care Management, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
More than 70% of U.S. women aged 21-49 are open to human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection for cervical cancer screening, with a majority preferring at-home collection. This approach is particularly favored by underscreened populations.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Public Health
- Oncology
Background:
- Cervical cancer screening is crucial for early detection and prevention.
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing is a primary method for cervical cancer screening.
- Understanding patient preferences is key to improving screening uptake.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess reproductive-aged women's preferences for HPV specimen self-collection versus clinician collection.
- To determine preferred locations for HPV specimen collection (at home vs. in-office).
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth (2022-2023).
- Included 4,465 women aged 21-49 without hysterectomy or cervical cancer history.
- Used survey weights to generate nationally representative data on collection preferences.
Main Results:
- Over 71% of women were open to HPV self-collection; 42.9% preferred it over clinician collection.
- More than half (52.1%) of those open to self-collection preferred collecting at home.
- Preference for self-collection and at-home collection was higher among underscreened women.
Conclusions:
- A significant majority of U.S. women are receptive to HPV self-collection for cervical cancer screening.
- At-home self-collection is a preferred method for many women, especially those not up-to-date with screening.
- Findings support policy and implementation strategies to enhance cervical cancer screening access.
