Mailed self-sample kits boosted cervical cancer screening

Receiving a sample collection kit by mail helped people who were behind on cervical cancer screening take part in this regular checkup.

A clinical trial assessed whether mailing kits to take a cell sample from the vagina at home could boost turnout for cervical cancer screening. Participants belonged to a safety net health system — which offers care no matter whether patients can pay — and were overdue for screening. At six months, more than twice as many people, 44 percent, who received the kit had been screened versus those who only got a reminder to come in person, researchers report June 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

For people ages 25 to 65 with a cervix, the American Cancer Society recommends testing cervical cells for human papillomavirus, or HPV, every five years. The HPV test checks whether cervical cells are infected with types of the virus that increase the risk for cancer. The cervix sits at the top of the vagina.

HPV infections are very common — nearly all sexually active people get them — and are usually cleared by the immune system. If HPV-infected cells stick around, they can become precancerous and eventually cause cervical, vaginal, anal and penile cancers, among others. It can take a couple of decades for cervical cancer to develop. It’s estimated that more than 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and more than 4,000 will die from the cancer in 2025.

Around a quarter of U.S. women ages 21 to 65 were behind on cervical cancer screening in 2023. People who are uninsured, part of minority racial, ethnic, sexual or gender populations or from rural areas are among those with lower cervical cancer screening rates.

A pelvic exam by a medical provider has historically been necessary for screening. This exam can make people uncomfortable or cause distress, including in people who have experienced sexual trauma and people who identify as transgender or nonbinary. In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of self-collection kits by patients while at a medical visit. But in-person visits can be difficult for people due to a lack of childcare, job constraints or transportation limits, for example.

In May, the FDA approved the first sample kit for home use, making it possible to take the initial step of cervical cancer screening without leaving the house.