Perceptions of a Diverse Group of U.S. Women on the Ease of Vaginal Self-Sampling for Cancer Detection

TL;DR

This study explores how U.S. women, especially those with lower education, perceive the ease of using at-home vaginal self-sampling for cervical cancer screening.

Contribution

The study identifies formal education as a key factor influencing women's comfort with self-sampling methods for cervical cancer detection.

Findings

Women with middle school or less education were more likely to find vaginal self-collection difficult compared to those with higher education.

Hispanic/Latino and first-generation immigrant women were overrepresented in the study sample.

The study highlights the need for further research to address education-related disparities in cancer screening acceptance.

Abstract

The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of a cervical self-collection method for human papillomavirus detection offers a promising opportunity to improve access to cervical cancer screenings. This study evaluates patients’ perceptions of self-collection methods and identifies factors influencing their acceptance.

MiOra health educators conducted a pilot, cross-sectional, convenience sampling study in Los Angeles County, California, using an Institutional Review Board-approved Qualtrics electronic survey targeting low socioeconomic women. Participants evaluated the perceived ease or difficulty of at-home self-collection methods for vaginal and nasopharyngeal swabs. Associations between sociodemographic, behavioral, and contextual factors with self-sampling preferences were analyzed using chi-square test. Statistical significance was set at 5%, and data were analyzed in R version 4.4.1.

A total of 213 women aged 18 years and older participated in the study, with no exclusions. The majority of participants were under 51 years old (83.6%), Hispanic/Latino (61.5%), and first-generation immigrants (54.5%) in the United States. Women with a middle school or less education were significantly more likely to report perceived difficulty with vaginal self-collection as compared with women with a graduate or professional school education (85.7% vs. 21.4%, respectively, p = 0.009).

Timely cervical cancer diagnosis is crucial for improving treatment outcomes. Findings from this pilot study suggest that formal education may influence women’s comfort level with vaginal self-collection. Further research is needed to understand the role of formal education to close the gaps in timely cancer detection.