Genital human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and is thought to be responsible for more than 99% of cervical cancers.
HPV screening usually entails a speculum-based exam, which is an uncomfortable experience for most patients, especially those who have physical disabilities.
In two studies, published in Preventive Medicine Reports and JAMA Network Open, University of Michigan researchers are the first to demonstrate in the U.S. that self-sampling is just as effective as speculum-based testing for HPV detection.
Most people who have HPV are usually unaware that they have it.
By age 50, at least 4 out of 5 women will have been infected with the virus at some point in their lives.
Usually, these infections disappear within 2 years, due to the…