1. Cervical cancer screening: interest in self-collected HPV testing
- Preferences Among U.S. Women for Cervical Cancer Screening with Self-Collected Specimens for Human Papillomavirus Testing in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Cervical cancer screening with cytology (Pap tests) and/or human papilloma virus (HPV) testing greatly decreases the number of cases of cervical cancer each year—and yet inadequate or missed screening still drives a disproportionate share of new diagnoses. While screening has traditionally been performed by clinicians during in-office visits, the FDA approved self-collected vaginal HPV testing in May of 2024. In In this cross-sectional analysis of survey data of more than 4000 21-49 year old women, 42.9% preferred HPV self-collection, 28.5% preferred clinician collection, and 28.6% had no preference; overall, about 71% were open to self-collection (preference or no preference). Interest was higher among respondents who were inadequately screened/never screened, nulliparous, nonheterosexual, and those reporting a history of nonvoluntary vaginal intercourse—groups for whom pelvic exams can be a major barrier. The authors conclude that the majority of respondents were open to self-collection, and suggest that a patient-centered approach to cervical cancer screening may improve screening rates especially among certain subpopulations.
2. HPV vaccination: one dose may be enough
- Noninferiority of One HPV Vaccine Dose to Two Doses in New England Journal of Medicine
Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination has the potential to significantly decrease the burden of cervical dysplasia and cancer in the world, but only 27% of adolescent girls worldwide have been vaccinated, with the majority of cervical cancers found in regions with low levels of vaccination. Decreasing the number of injections required for vaccination has the potential to improve vaccination rates. In this large randomized trial of more than 20,000 female participants ages 12–16, investigators compared 1 vs 2 doses of either the quadrivalent or nonavalent HPV vaccine and tracked persistent HPV-16/18 infection over 5 years. In a noninferiority analysis, the authors determined there was no significant difference between the groups up through 5 years after vaccination, and that all groups had vaccine effectiveness of at least 97%. This data suggests that single-dose HPV vaccination can be safely offered to adolescents without compromising effectiveness.
3. Importance of person-centered contraceptive counseling for adolescents
- Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Receipt of Person-Centered Contraceptive Counseling in JAMA Network Open
It has been well-established that adolescents and young adults experience numerous barriers to contraceptive access, including a lack of information and counseling. Quality of contraceptive counseling has been linked to individual satisfaction with birth control and reproductive choices. Using the Person-Centered Contraceptive Counseling scale (PCCC scale), a validated instrument to assess a patient’s experiences with contraceptive counseling, the authors used national survey data from 2022-2023 to compare PCCC scale results among three age groups: adolescents (ages 15-19), young adults (ages 20-25) and adults (ages 25 and up). Overall, PCCC scales were low, indicating that few people in all age groups are receiving adequate person-centered contraceptive counseling. Adolescents’ results revealed that they receive significantly less contraception counseling than older individuals. But, when they did receive person-centered contraceptive counseling, 15-19 year olds expressed a high level of satisfaction with their chosen birth control methods. Healthcare providers who work with adolescents can use this data as inspiration to incorporate person-centered contraceptive counseling into their practice.
4. IUD expulsion rates after abortion or pregnancy loss
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