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The following is a summary of “Self-Collection for Primary HPV Testing: Acceptability in a Large Urban Emergency Department,” published in the November 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Sokale et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the acceptability of human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection among women with overdue cervical cancer screening and assessed completion rates, attitudes with experiences of women seeking noncritical care at a high-volume urban safety-net hospital emergency department (ED) in Houston, Texas.
They recruited women overdue for cervical cancer screening from the waiting areas of a safety-net hospital ED looking for noncritical care between November 2023 and April 2024. Participants completed a pre-intervention survey and were offered an HPV self-collection kit. The post-intervention survey was administered immediately after the HPV self-collection.
The results showed that 30% (119 of 401) of those screened for eligibility were overdue for cervical cancer screening, of these, 93% enrolled, primarily consisting of Hispanic, non-US born, and uninsured women, with a median age of 45 years ([IQR]: 37 to 53). The HPV self-collection completion rate was 90% (95% [CI], 82.9% to 94.9%). Over a quarter (27%) had never been screened, and 14% had a screening over 10 years ago. Among those who completed the HPV self-collection, 97% found the kit easy to use, and 88% expressed willingness to use it for regular screening.
Investigators concluded that HPV self-collection for primary cervical cancer screening during noncritical ED visits was feasible and highly acceptable among women overdue for screening.
Source: annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(24)01117-X/fulltext
