More than half of women prefer in-clinic cervical cancer screening compared to home-based self-collection, according to a study published Feb. 6 in JAMA Network Open.
Recently endorsed by the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, oncology leaders have called self-collection a “game changer” for cervical cancer screening.
Researchers from Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center analyzed data from the Health Interview National Trends Survey to assess how women prefer to experience cervical cancer screening. Survey responses included in the analysis were women between 21 and 65 years old who self-reported their gender identity. The responses of 2,300 women were included in the analysis.
Here are five notes from the study:
- Survey participants were given the choice of four responses: have a healthcare practitioner do the test in office, self-collection at home, unsure of which option to choose, and not applicable.
- Of the 2,300 survey responses included in the study, 60.8% of women preferred clinic-based testing, while 20.4% preferred at-home self-collection and 18.8% were unsure of what to choose.
- Compared to non-Hispanic white women, non-Hispanic Black women were less likely to prefer at-home self-collection.
Women who had experienced prejudice or discrimination in the medical setting were more likely to prefer at-home self-collection. - The most common reasons women said they preferred at-home self-collection were privacy, time constraints and fear of embarrassment.
- “To address cervical cancer inequities and increase screening uptake, the findings suggest US guidelines should incorporate home-based self-sampling as an alternative to clinic-based testing,” the study authors wrote. “Tailored interventions focusing on high-risk groups are needed to increase awareness and self-confidence in performing home-based self-sampling.”
Read the full study here.
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