New federal screening guidance expands cervical cancer testing with an at-home HPV option
ABC News••health
Key Points:
- New federal guidance from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will allow women ages 30 to 65 to use a high-risk HPV self-collection test at home for cervical cancer screening, with private insurance coverage starting January 2027.
- The preferred screening method is a high-risk HPV test every five years, either clinician-collected or self-collected, while women aged 21 to 29 should continue Pap tests every three years.
- Self-collection aims to improve screening access for women who face barriers to in-office exams, potentially reducing the number of late-stage cervical cancer diagnoses and saving lives.
- Only FDA-approved self-collection tests are recommended, with the first at-home kit approved in May 2025
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