Patient Perspectives on Primary HPV Testing for Routine Cervical Cancer Screening

Excerpt

Driven by advances in screening technologies and an increased understanding of the natural history of cervical cancer, routine cervical cancer screening guidelines have changed from annual screening with cytology to less frequent screening using cytology alone triennially or in conjunction with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing every 5 years.¹ In August 2018, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released updated screening recommendations, which added the option for women aged 30–65 to be screened every 5 years with primary HPV testing alone² and further solidified interim guidance on primary HPV testing released in 2015_.³ Previous studies have shown patient concerns regarding HPV testing prior to the new guidelines.^{4, 5} We assessed women’s perspectives on primary HPV testing following the release of 2018 USPSTF recommendations. …