Listen to this article
Estimated 5 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
U.S. health officials are backing a more accessible means of cervical cancer prevention — one that has limited availability in Canada.
The Health Resources and Services Administration issued new recommendations on Monday that will eventually allow women and people assigned female at birth easier access to at-home self-testing kits for the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted and can cause cervical cancer.
It’s part of a greater shift away from using the longstanding Pap test in favour of HPV tests, which can be done by either a clinician or an individual.
When cervical cancer detected early through regular screening, there is a 90 per cent five-year survival rate.
Although many jurisdictions in Canada now recommend HPV screening over the traditional Pap test as a means of preventing cervical cancer, self-administered tests aren’t readily available outside of B.C.
Here’s what you need to know about HPV self-testing and how accessible it is.
How do the at-home tests work?
The self-testing kits for HPV are somewhat similar to the at-home rapid tests for the virus that causes COVID-19.
A swab is used to collect a specimen from inside the vagina.
There is no speculum involved, unlike a Pap test or a clinician-administered HPV test.
The self-testing swab also doesn’t need to touch or scrape the cervix, which can cause discomfort during a Pap test.
There’s no rapid result, like the one you would have with a COVID-19 test; the sample for the HPV screening has to be sent to a lab to be tested.
Beyond the benefit of being able to do the test in the privacy of your home at a time that is convenient for you, self-collection is also linked to more people actually be screened for HPV — including those who are have never been tested or who don’t get tested often — according to the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.
How do the results compare?
Pap smears screen for abnormal or precancerous cells in the cervix and have less than 60 per cent accuracy, according to a 2022 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
HPV testing does not look at the patient’s cells, but instead screens for DNA of the virus. Its accuracy in detecting the virus can be higher than 90 per cent, the study found.
Nearly all cases of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV, with two strains in particular responsible for more than 70 per cent of cases worldwide.
While a positive HPV test doesn’t mean you are going to develop cancer, you may need further examination that could include a Pap test.
There are also rare cases that HPV testing won’t help detect.
Currently, Health Canada recommends Pap tests once every three years, while it’s every five years for HPV screening.
A new report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal recommends self-screening for certain medical issues like cervical cancer to help reduce inequity among certain groups that avoid getting tested. Experts say the measure could help catch more cases of cervical cancer and might potentially eliminate it altogether.
Are they available in my province?
British Columbia was the first province to implement a cervical cancer self-screening program back in January 2024.
Prince Edward Island piloted self-testing in 2024 and is planning to do a phased clinical rollout after a review of guidelines.
Other provinces, including Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, have conducted self-screening pilot projects, while Ontario has HPV self-testing available but it’s not covered under the provincial insurance program.
Depending on where you live, some private companies offer the kits more widely but at a cost.
So, what exactly is happening in the U.S.?
The new recommendations mean that women and people assigned female at birth between the ages of 30 to 65, who have an average risk of cervical cancer, have the option to self-test.
Most private insurance companies will be required to cover the cost of the tests, as of Jan. 1, 2027.
They can still opt for a clinician to do an HPV test or a Pap smear.
The American Cancer Society estimates some 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S., while approximately 4,300 people die each year as a result of the disease.
In a Canadian first, the B.C. government has unveiled a new self-screening program for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer. That will mean many women in the province will be able to avoid uncomfortable Pap smear exams.
How common are HPV and cervical cancer?
Health Canada says that 75 per cent of sexually active people will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime, but most go unnoticed because they don’t exhibit any symptoms.
Access to vaccines for carcinogenic and non-cancer causing strains of HPV, has contributed to a decline in cases although recent evidence suggests that has plateaued.
Cervical cancer rates dropped steadily in Canada between 1984 and 2005, but have plateaued since then, according to a report published in November by the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee.
“Cervical cancer is not one of the most common causes of cancer death for females in Canada, but each one of the 430 deaths expected in 2025 due to this cancer was potentially preventable,” the report said.
After 20 years of falling cervical cancer rates, a new Canadian Cancer Society report suggests that progress on eliminating the disease has stalled. Advocates say wider access to HPV testing and vaccination could help.
