Women Want a Choice Between Vaginal HPV Self-Sampling and Clinician Screen

THURSDAY, Oct. 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Most women would like a choice between vaginal human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling and traditional clinician screening, although nearly half would prefer a recommendation, according to a study published online in the October issue of the Journal of Medical Screening.

Laura Marlow, Ph.D., from Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues examined attitudes toward a choice and anticipated future preference among women who had collected a vaginal self-sample at home alongside their usual cervical screen in 38 general practices in England. A total of 2,323 women completed a survey after collecting a self-sample and having a clinician screen.

The researchers found that 85 percent of participants felt they would like a choice between self-sampling and clinician screening, and 72 percent felt that this would improve screening for them. Overall, 23 percent felt it would be difficult to choose, 15 percent would worry about making a choice, and 48 percent would prefer a recommendation. Women with fewer qualifications were significantly more likely than those with degree-level education to say they would worry about having a choice or would not want a choice. If offered a choice in the future, 69 percent of women said they would choose to self-sample at home.

“This suggests an urgent need to develop and test different ways of offering this choice so that optimal messaging can be used in any roll-out or evaluation of HPV self-sampling choice in the United Kingdom and elsewhere,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to Hologic, manufacturers of an HPV self-sample kit.

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