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Cervical Cancer Screening: Women Prefer Doctors Over Home Kits
10 Feb
Summary
- Most women prefer clinic visits for cervical cancer screening over home tests.
- Privacy and convenience are key reasons women might choose home sampling.
- Black women were less likely to prefer at-home screening than white women.
A significant majority of women, 61%, prefer to undergo cervical cancer screening with a healthcare professional rather than using at-home self-sampling kits, according to a new study published on February 6, 2026. Despite the convenience and privacy offered by the first FDA-approved at-home cervical cancer screening device, which became available in May 2025, only 20% of women expressed a preference for it. The findings stem from a 2024 survey of 2,300 women aged 21 to 65.
Reasons cited for preferring at-home tests included privacy (55%), time constraints (35%), and fear of embarrassment (33%). Notably, Black women were 55% less likely to prefer at-home screening compared to white women. Conversely, women who had faced prejudice in healthcare were almost twice as likely to opt for self-sampling. Researchers suggest that major medical organizations should update their guidelines to include home-based self-sampling to reduce screening inequities and improve access for underserved populations.
