At-home sampling preferred by marginalized populations, including those who do not trust the health care system<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Six in 10 U.S. women say they prefer to get their cervical cancer screening in a clinic versus at home with a self-sampling kit, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jo\u00ebl Fokom Domgue, M.D., from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues assessed whether women prefer home-based self-sampling over clinic-based testing for cervical cancer screening. The analysis included results from 2,300 participants (aged 21 to 65 years) in the 2024 Health Interview National Trends Survey.<\/p>\n The researchers found that 20.4 percent preferred at-home self-sampling, 60.8 percent preferred clinic-based testing, and 18.8 percent were uncertain about their choice. Non-Hispanic Black respondents (adjusted odds ratio, 0.45) had lower odds of preferring at-home self-sampling versus non-Hispanic White participants. At-home self-sampling was preferred among women who had experienced prejudice or discrimination when getting medical care (adjusted odds ratio, 1.94). The most commonly cited reasons for preferring at-home self-sampling included privacy (54.9 percent), time constraints (35.1 percent), and fear of embarrassment (33.4 percent).<\/p>\n “Home-based self-sampling has the potential to remove many of the barriers women face when it comes to cervical cancer screening,” lead author Sanjay Shete, Ph.D., also from MD Anderson, said in a statement. “By expanding screening options and pairing them with targeted education, we can empower more women to participate in screening in a way that fits their lives.”<\/p>\n