Experts estimate that over 13,000 new cervical cancer diagnoses occurred in the United States in 2025, accompanied by over 4,000 cervical cancer-related deaths. Five-year survival for patients diagnosed with cervical cancer remains near 70%, and importantly, early-stage cases of localized disease have an over 90% five-year survival rate.
Because cervical cancer typically develops slowly, screening procedures remain an essential tool for early-stage diagnosis. Additionally, the high success of treatment for early-stage cervical cancer highlights the importance of effective screening, which correlates with early-stage diagnoses.
A Pap test, the most common screening test for cervical cancer, involves collecting cells from the cervix. Pathologists review these cells under a microscope to identify cancerous or abnormal cells that could develop into cancer. More recently, human papillomavirus (HPV) tests, another strategy for cervical cancer screening, have gained popularity among some healthcare professionals. HPV tests, which evaluate cervical cells for the presence of papillomavirus DNA. Presence of papillomavirus DNA in the cervix can induce cellular changes that can develop into cancer.
Notably, women can collect a sample for HPV testing themselves at-home. The added privacy and convenience allowed by self-administered testing may help increase access to cervical cancer screening for those presented with barriers to visiting a clinic. However, despite the availability, and proven effectiveness, federal recommendations for cervical cancer screening do not include these procedures, and clinic-based screening remains the standard of care in the United States.
A team of researchers set out to assess patients' preferences between clinic-based and at-home cervical cancer screening. The results of the study, recently published in JAMA Network Open, report that a majority of women prefer going into a clinic for cervical cancer screening procedures to doing self-administered screening at-home. The study evaluated women’s perspectives on at-home self-sampling for cervical cancer screening.
The researchers used data from the 2024 Health Interview National Trends Survey (HINTS7), a nationally representative survey, to examine the American public’s knowledge of, attitudes towards, and use of cancer-related information. Women aged 21 to 65 included in the study were eligible for cervical cancer screening and reported a preference for home-based self-sampling or clinician-collected sampling.
The study included 2,300 women with an average age of 45.5. Most respondents reported being married, having health insurance, and having some college education. Only 20.4% of women reported a preference for at-home self-sampling for cervical cancer screening, while 60.8% preferred clinic-based sampling. The remaining 18.8% of women reported no preference.
Despite an overall preference towards clinic-based cervical cancer screening, a cohort of women who reported experiencing prejudice or discrimination when getting medical care had significantly higher odds of preferring home-based tests. Among those who preferred at-home self-sampling, most reported that this preference was shaped by a desire for privacy. Smaller cohorts reported time constraints or fear of embarrassment involved in shaping their preferences.
The authors conclude that their study provides a rationale for updating cervical cancer screening guidelines to include at-home self-sampling methods. Based on the evidence of cohorts of women who prefer this method, it is likely that increasing access to this type of testing could address cervical cancer inequities.
Sources: Br Med J, JAMA Netw Open