BD is banging the drum for self-collection of cervical cancer screening samples again. Like in 2024, the company has begun the year by spreading survey data to make the case for a change in how healthcare systems collect vaginal samples.
Healthcare professionals have traditionally collected samples for cervical cancer screening. The approval of BD’s self-collection kit last year gave women in the U.S. a new option. While the FDA approval limited use to healthcare settings including retail pharmacies and mobile clinics, preventing the at-home sample collection offered in other countries, the kit could still address some barriers to screening.
The Harris Poll looked at those barriers in a survey of more than 1,100 women in the U.S. Most, 62%, of women said they knew cervical cancer is preventable with regular screenings. Yet, 72% of respondents reported having delayed a gynecological visit.
Around half of the women said they delayed visits because of fear or discomfort. Jeff Andrews, vice president of medical affairs at BD, said in a statement that “self-collection of vaginal samples reduces both the discomfort and time associated with a pelvic exam.”
The survey found that 81% of the polled women want more comfortable, less invasive cervical cancer testing options. Around three-quarters of the respondents showed an interest in using a self-collection vaginal swab test at the doctor's office. A similar proportion of the women are interested in at-home collection.
Allowing home sample collection could stop scheduling challenges from stopping women from getting screened. Almost half of respondents said scheduling issues had caused them to delay gynecology visits.
While many women reported delaying visits, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data suggests most people ultimately stay up to date with cervical cancer screening. Around 72% of women were up to date with screening in 2021, the most recent data. The figure has trended down over the past 20 years and public health officials want to reverse the decline to hit the Healthy People 2030 goal of 84%.