Vaginal swab test as effective as speculum exam for HPV screening
Women can now screen themselves for human papillomavirus (HPV) using a vaginal swab instead of an uncomfortable speculum-based exam, according to two new studies.
“Genital HPV infections are thought to be responsible for more than 99 percent of cervical cancers. At least in part because the speculum exam can be uncomfortable or even painful, many women in the United States have not gotten screened in the past 10 years. We need to try to make the test a more convenient experience.
Countries that have adopted HPV self-screening policies, including Sweden, Australia, and the Netherlands, have also seen a reduction in cervical cancer rates,” said Dr. Diane Harper of the University of Michigan, who led both studies.
The results of these studies showed that using vaginal swabs is as effective as speculum-based screening and they are no different from each other.
