April 15, 2026
Self-collection kits boost cervical cancer screening rates
A new approach to HPV testing reduces pelvic exams and helps more people get screened, a study finds.
Cervical cancer screening saves lives, but many people don’t get screened. At Kaiser Permanente, we’re working to change that.
We’ve been leading research on a new approach to screening: giving people the option to skip the usual pelvic exam and collect their own samples to test for HPV.
This approach is working.
A new Kaiser Permanente study found that HPV self-collection test kits helped more people get screened.
How is HPV linked to cervical cancer?
HPV is the human papillomavirus, a common infection spread through having sex. Most cervical cancers are caused by HPV.
For many patients age 25 and older, doctors screen for cervical cancer using an HPV test rather than a Pap test. Like a Pap test, an HPV test involves a pelvic exam. During the exam, a clinician collects a sample of cells from the cervix.
Unfortunately, 1 in 4 women don’t receive regular HPV screenings. More than half of cervical cancers in the U.S. are diagnosed in people who aren’t up to date on screening.
People often skip screening because:
- They don’t have time
- They don’t have transportation
- Pelvic exams can be uncomfortable
- They feel embarrassed
- Pelvic exams remind them of past trauma
What are HPV self-collection test kits?
HPV self-collection test kits allow people to collect their own vaginal samples for HPV screening. People can do this at home or in a private setting in a medical facility.
“Many people prefer these kits because they don’t have to visit a doctor’s office or have a pelvic exam,” said lead researcher Beverly Green, MD, MPH, a family doctor and senior investigator for Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.
We know from previous research that self-collected vaginal samples are just as reliable as samples collected during a pelvic exam.
This is an example of how research can help improve care. By studying what worked, we were able to make screening easier for patients and clinicians. Senior author Paula Lozano, MD, MPH
From research to the real world
In 2023, we became the first health care organization in the U.S. to offer HPV test kits with self-collection. We did this for our members in Washington state. Some of the kits, we mailed. Others, we gave to members in our medical facilities.
Our researchers have now looked at the impact of this program.
The study included more than 95,000 Kaiser Permanente members in Washington who were due for screening either before or after the HPV self-collect program began. Our researchers looked at results 6 months after the program started.
- More people were screened for cervical cancer. Screening rates increased by 2.2% overall. And 25% of the people who received a mailed HPV self-collection kit completed the screening at home.
- Pelvic exams became less common, dropping by more than one-third. Instead, 37% of members chose self-collection for screening.
- Clinicians reported that doing fewer pelvic exams gave them more time to address other patient concerns. They also said that HPV tests with self-collection made screening easier and more comfortable for their patients.
The study’s authors said their findings could help guide other health care organizations that want to start using self-collection for cervical cancer screening.
“This is an example of how research can help improve care,” said senior author Paula Lozano, MD, MPH. “By studying what worked, we were able to make screening easier for patients and clinicians.”
We now offer HPV self-collection test kits to members in more places we provide care, not just in Washington. Members interested in self-collection should talk with their doctor.
