Sex & Sexuality, Vaccines, Illnesses & Infections, Health & wellness
HPV Self-Collection: A More Comfortable Way to Screen for Cervical Cancer
If you’ve put off cervical cancer screening because you dread a pelvic exam, you’re not alone. The good news is that there may be another way to get screened. MD Family now offers HPV self-collection at our office, giving eligible patients the option to collect their own sample in private.
What is HPV self-collection?
HPV self-collection is a test for the types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer. Instead of a clinician collecting a sample from your cervix during a pelvic exam, you use a swab to collect a sample from your vagina. The sample is then sent to a lab for HPV testing.
At MD Family, you’ll receive instructions, collect your sample privately in our office and return the kit to our staff. You do not need a pelvic exam to collect the sample. Your care team can help determine whether this screening option is right for you.
Why might I choose it?
For some people, discomfort, anxiety or a past experience can make a traditional screening appointment hard to schedule. Self-collection gives you more control over the process while helping you take an important step in protecting your health.
Research has found that HPV testing with self-collected samples performs comparably to testing with clinician-collected samples when approved tests and collection methods are used. A self-collected HPV test is not a Pap test, though: a Pap test checks cervical cells for changes, while an HPV test looks for the virus. Your provider can explain which screening approach fits your health history.
What happens after the test?
If your result is negative, your care team will let you know when to screen again. If it’s positive, it does not mean you have cervical cancer. It means a high-risk type of HPV was found, and you may need another test or a follow-up appointment. Your provider will explain the next step based on your results and health history.
Ready to get screened?
If you’re due for cervical cancer screening—or have been putting it off—ask MD Family whether in-office HPV self-collection is an option for you.