Overview
- The update authorizes FDA-approved self-collected HPV testing as an alternative to clinic collection, while provider-collected testing remains preferred.
- Screening cadence changes specify HPV testing every five years with provider collection and every three years with self-collection.
- Routine screening now begins at age 25 and can end after 65 with documented normal results that meet the guideline’s criteria.
- ACS cites declining participation in recent years, with a six‑percentage‑point drop since 2019 and about 13,000 cases and 4,000 deaths annually in the U.S.
- Self-collected samples can be mailed to a lab or returned to a doctor’s office, kits are generally ordered by a clinician, and positive self-tests require in‑person follow‑up amid some clinician concerns about user error.