New guidelines could change the way women get screened for cancer-causing HPV. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force added the option for women to take their own samples for the test on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
The Food and Drug Administration approved self-collection in May, but this is the first time it’s actually been recommended. Under the guidelines, women in their 20s should still get a traditional Pap test every three years, but once they hit 30, they can switch to self-collection HPV tests every five years.
The task force said other screening options for those 30 and older are continuing with traditional Pap tests every three years or getting a combined Pap smear and HPV test every five years, but getting an HPV screening every five years is the ideal method. The task force also said women should get tested even if they’ve been vaccinated against HPV.
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the leading cause of cervical cancer, which is one of the top preventable causes of death in the U.S. Despite that, the National Cancer Institute estimates about one in five American women are overdue for cervical cancer screening.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed every year in the U.S., while about 4,000 women die from it annually. One study found nearly two out of three cervical cancer cases are diagnosed in women who did not get screened within the recommended interval.
These new recommendations have not yet been finalized. The task force is accepting public comments through Jan. 13.
