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at-home hpv testing empowers canadians in the fight against cervical cancer

self-collected samples offer an alternative to the traditional pap test, making cervical cancer screening more accessible.

by karen hawthorne

published oct 29, 2024

4 minute read

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4 minute read

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since cervical cancer develops slowly in most people, follow-up pap tests are relied upon to detect any abnormal changes in time for treatment. however, the shortage of family doctors in canada means that many women are not getting regular pap smears. getty images

cervical cancer is now the fastest increasing cancer in women in canada. many women don’t realize they have the disease early on because it usually doesn’t cause symptoms until the late stages. and when symptoms do appear, they can easily be mistaken for conditions like menstrual periods and urinary tract infections. the cause behind almost all cervical cancer cases is human papillomavirus, or hpv, the highly contagious and most prevalent sexually transmitted infection, according to the canadian cancer society . in a significant stride forward, women in canada can now collect their own sample at home for hpv screening – something advocates have been pushing for to meet the collective goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. cervical cancer is curable, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively.

health canada has approved the bd onclarity hpv assay for hpv testing with self-collected vaginal specimens at home.

regular pap smears performed by a clinician with a speculum usually detect cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer, but they’re not 100 per cent accurate. since cervical cancer develops slowly in most people, follow-up pap tests are relied upon to detect any abnormal changes in time for treatment. however, the shortage of family doctors in canada means that many women are not getting regular pap smears.

self-collected samples offer an alternative to the traditional pap test, making cervical cancer screening more accessible. at-home testing is less invasive, more cost-effective, and requires less frequent testing, now recommended every five years (instead of every three years for pap tests). according to canada’s drug agency, the accuracy of hpv self-collection is at the same standard as samples collected in a clinic. the availability of an at-home kit will also make cervical cancer prevention more accessible to remote, rural and vulnerable populations. a pilot study to assess hpv self-sampling reported the incidence of cervical cancer is up to sixfold higher among first nation women in canada than in the general population.

“self-collection is a game-changer for health equity, as it removes the logistical, financial and psychological barriers many women face when accessing traditional screening methods,” ivy parks, president of bd canada, said in a news release. “by providing a convenient and reliable option for hpv testing at home, we are not only improving access to care but also empowering women to take proactive steps in managing their health.”

with about 16.3 million women aged 15 years and older at risk of developing cervical cancer in the country, the canadian partnership against cancer recommends that canada introduce hpv primary screening to replace the pap test.

bd onclarity hpv assay is the only health canada-licensed test that supports self-collection with hpv extended genotyping to measure a woman’s risk for cervical pre-cancer and cancer more precisely, so high-risk women can receive earlier intervention.

when you consider the numbers of people impacted by hpv, the self-collection screening kit is a critical step forward. more than 70 per cent of sexually active canadians of all ages will have hpv at some point. the compounding problem is, the high-risk strains of the virus that can cause cancer are asymptomatic, so people don’t know they have it – unless they’ve been screened for hpv. the highest prevalence is found in people 20 to 24 years of age.

experts in hpv and cervical cancer point out that there is still confusion about hpv among the public and many healthcare providers. hpv isn’t just about cervical cancer; it can also lead to penile cancer, anal cancer in both women and men, and oropharyngeal cancer of the throat including the base of the tongue and tonsils.

further, high-risk strains of hpv don’t present symptoms, but low-risk strains also don’t show obvious signs of infection. genital warts, for example, are one symptom, but these can be small or be hidden inside the body, out of sight. and while for women, the warts may be spotted on the vulva, thigh, anus, rectum or inside the vagina or urethra, men can find the warts on the penis, scrotum, thigh, anus, rectum or in the urethra.

“there’s a common perception generally around sexually transmitted infections that if you had an sti, you would know it because there would be symptoms. more often than not there aren’t any visible symptoms, or if people do have symptoms, they brush them off,” alex mckay, executive director of the sexual information and education council of canada,

told healthing.ca.

public health researchers have documented the fear of shame and stigma of sexually transmitted infections that are barriers to getting tested for and disclosing an infection to potential sexual partners.

another misperception is that sexually transmitted infections like hpv are a problem for younger people who may be sexually active with multiple partners. these infections are still a concern even with a low number of sexual partners or serial monogamy. “we may move from one partner to another, people get married and then divorced, and then remarried or have new partners. and at any time in your life, it doesn’t matter how old you are, having a new sex partner is a risk factor for getting a new hpv infection,” mckay says.

experts agree that hpv vaccination, launched in canada, is a proven tool for prevention, but uptake is still below targets. all provinces and territories have a school-based hpv immunization program starting in grades 4 to 7, given during the pre-adolescent years prior to exposure to hpv when vaccination is considered most effective. catch-up programs for immunization are also available to people who didn’t get the vaccine through school programs or were in school before the programs were in place.

the takeaway for cancer prevention? protect yourself and your family with the important tools now available.

karen hawthorne

karen hawthorne worked for six years as a digital editor for the national post, contributing articles on health, business, culture and travel for affiliated newspapers across canada. she now writes from her home office in toronto and takes breaks to bounce with her son on the backyard trampoline and walk bingo, her bull terrier.

at-home hpv testing empowers canadians in the fight against cervical cancer

self-collected samples offer an alternative to the traditional pap test, making cervical cancer screening more accessible.

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at-home hpv testing empowers canadians in the fight against cervical cancer

self-collected samples offer an alternative to the traditional pap test, making cervical cancer screening more accessible.

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