American women are delaying gynecological checkups—and over half are doing so out of fear or discomfort, finds a new Harris Poll.
The survey of 1,100 women was conducted in November on behalf of global medical technology company Becton, Dickinson & Company (BD), which recently had its in-office self-collection HPV testing kit, the BD Onclarity HPV Assay, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Among the findings were that 72% of women have delayed a gynecology visit—despite 62% understanding that cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, is preventable with regular screenings. Of those who did delay a checkup, 54% said it was due to fear or discomfort and 49% said it was due to scheduling difficulties. And 50% said they had no idea how often they were supposed to get screened for cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is screened either through an human papillomavirus (HPV) test, which looks for high-risk HPV, or Pap test, which looks for abnormal cells, both conducted the same way—by a physician taking a swab of cells from the cervix through a gynecological exam.
The United States Preventive ServicesTask Force (USPSTF) has developed the following cervical cancer screening recommendations based on age:
- Age 21-29: First Pap test at age 21, with a follow-up Pap test every three years
- Age 30-65: HPV test every five years
- Older than 65: No screening in those who have had adequate prior screening and are not otherwise at high risk; talk to your doctor if you have concerns.
Approximately one in four women eligible for screening were not up to date on cervical cancer screenings (or breast or colorectal cancer screenings, for that matter), according to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The fact that women are skipping this potentially life-saving screening due to fear or scheduling makes it clear that the health industry needs to make the process more comfortable and convenient,” Dr. Jeff Andrews, OB/GYN and vice president of medical affairs at BD, said in a press release. “Self-collection of vaginal samples reduces both the discomfort and time associated with a pelvic exam and is a critical step forward in cervical cancer screening.”
The study also found that 81% of women want cervical cancer testing options that are more comfortable and less invasive than a pelvic exam, with 73% interested in using a self-collection vaginal swab test at the doctor’s office—which is how the BD Onclarity works—and 74% interested in having an option for at-home self-collection. That’s a breakthrough women could soon see with the Teal Wand, an at-home vaginal swab tool that Teal Health has submitted for FDA approval through an accelerated review process.
“Medical research continues to be focused on the worthy goal of finding ‘a cure for cancer,’ but we’re already able to help prevent cervical cancer today,” said Nikos Pavlidis, worldwide president of BD Diagnostic Solutions. “The combination of vaccines, more precise HPV tests and self-collection will be important factors as we work to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health risk.”
More on cancer screenings:
- Many women find their own breast cancer. So why are breast self-exams no longer recommended?
- Women will now be notified about breast density after mammograms. Here’s what should happen next
- With ovarian cancer, there’s no such thing as early detection. Here’s what to learn from tennis great Chris Evert’s battle with the disease
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