Cervical Cancer Screening at Home: What to Know About Self-Collection HPV Tests

Cervical cancer screening no longer requires a pelvic exam at the doctor’s office. Thanks to new FDA-approved tests, certain women ages 30 to 65 can now collect their own sample forhuman papillomavirus (HPV) testing—at home, in a doctor’s office bathroom, or at a lab.

This is an option, not a replacement. You can still choose to have your provider perform screening with a speculum exam, which remains the standard and also allows your clinician to check for other conditions during a pelvic exam.

“This is all very exciting because it improves screening access,” says Sangini S. Sheth, MD, MPH, a Yale Medicine obstetrician–gynecologist. “Those who are going to most benefit include anyone who finds a speculum exam difficult, which could be because of a history of pain or past negative experiences with an exam, a history of sexual assault, or transgender patients for whom speculum exams are often harder. There are also people with mobility issues who find having their feet in footrests for a typical gynecologic exam challenging.”

The self-collection test checks for HPV, the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers. Long-lasting infection with high-risk types of HPV can lead to precancerous changes that, if caught early, are highly treatable.

Cervical cancer screening looks for precancerous or cancerous changes in the cervix before symptoms appear. When caught early, cervical cancer is highly treatable—and often preventable.

Thanks to screening, the death rate for cervical cancer dropped by more than half between the mid-1970s and mid-2000s. The HPV vaccine, introduced in 2006, is expected to further reduce cervical cancer rates in the years ahead.

But progress has stalled. The death rate for Black women is 55% higher than for White women, and 80% higher for Native American women, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Despite effective screening options, 1 in 4 adults is not up to date with recommended cervical, breast, or colorectal cancer screening, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The rate of cervical cancer in the U.S. has essentially been unchanged for over a decade,” Dr. Sheth says. “And since the pandemic, screening rates have come down, as racial and ethnic disparities have widened. So we still have work to be done.”

Both tests screen for cervical cancer, but they work differently. During a Pap test (also called a Pap smear), a health care provider uses a speculum to view the cervix and collects cells with a small brush. The cells are examined under a microscope to look for abnormal or precancerous changes.

In an HPV test, cells are collected from the cervix or the vagina. The sample is tested for high-risk types of HPV. Long-lasting infection with high-risk HPV can lead to cervical cancer.

A co-test is also available. During a co-test, both the Pap and HPV tests are done at the same time. If both results are normal, you may not need to be screened again for five years.

Self-collection allows you to collect your own vaginal sample for HPV testing. There are currently two ways to get a self-collection HPV test:

At a health care facility or lab

Schedule an appointment with your doctor, gynecologist, primary care provider, or nurse practitioner. If together you decide self-collection is right for you, they will order the test.

You may then visit your provider’s office or a participating lab to collect the sample in private. Using a small, soft brush, you insert it into the vagina, rotate for 10 to 30 seconds, and place it in a tube. The sample is sent to a lab for testing.

In some cases, self-collection tests may be available without a doctor’s visit or order, though these options may require out-of-pocket payment. Check with your insurance provider to confirm coverage and available options.

At home

Teal Health is currently the only company with an FDA-approved at-home test. Visit their website to request screening. A provider will review your health history online. If approved, a test kit is mailed to you. You collect the sample using a tampon-like device and mail it back. Results are available in an online portal. If follow-up is needed, you can consult with a Teal provider.

Studies show self-collection tests are as accurate as samples collected by a clinician.

Self-collection is not recommended if you:

• Are pregnant
• Have a weakened immune system
• Have a history of cervical cancer in the past 20 years
• Were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES, a synthetic form of estrogen) in the womb
• Have active vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain
• Have had recent abnormal Pap or HPV results
• Have had recent gynecologic surgery

If you're unsure, talk to your provider.

Coverage varies by plan. Check with your insurance provider.

Starting in January 2027, new federal regulations require most private insurance plans to cover self-collection HPV tests without a co-pay.

A positive HPV test means you have a high-risk type of HPV. It does not mean you have cancer.

Your provider will recommend follow-up, which may include:

• A Pap test to check for abnormal cells
• A colposcopy, a procedure done in a gynecologist's office that uses a magnifying device to examine the cervix more closely and take tissue samples (biopsies) if needed

If biopsy results show precancerous changes, your doctor will discuss monitoring or treatment options. Many precancerous changes can be treated before they become cancer.

If no abnormalities are found, you can resume cervical cancer screening on a schedule your provider recommends.

Most people at average risk should begin cervical cancer screening between ages 21 and 25, depending on which guidelines your provider follows.

Here’s what the federal Health Resources and Services Administration recommends:

Ages 21 to 29: Pap test every three years. HPV testing is not recommended at this age because most HPV infections in younger people will go away on their own.

Ages 30 to 65: HPV test every five years (preferred), or Pap test plus HPV test (co-test) every five years. If HPV testing is not available, a Pap test alone every three years is acceptable.

After age 65: If your previous tests have been normal, you may be able to stop screening. Your provider can offer more detailed guidance.

The American Cancer Society’s guidelines differ slightly. ACS recommends starting cervical cancer screening at age 25 using primary HPV testing every five years as the preferred method. (Primary HPV testing refers to using an HPV test on its own—without a Pap test—as the main screening approach.) If HPV testing isn’t available, co-testing or a Pap test alone may be used. These variations can change the time intervals, according to the ACS guidelines.

Because guidelines vary, Dr. Sheth encourages women to talk with their provider to decide which screening method and schedule is best for them.

Yes. Self-collection tests screen only for HPV and cervical cancer risk. They do not replace a full pelvic exam, which can detect other gynecologic conditions. In addition, a visit to your gynecologist provides an opportunity for discussing other health concerns.

“For people who have been able to get the speculum exam and have the clinician screen for cervical cancer, they should continue doing what they’ve been doing because it's still optimal in many ways,” Dr. Sheth says. “There are many other things we are able to check for in a pelvic exam.”

Yale Medicine providers are committed to making cervical cancer screening accessible and effective for all patients. This includes offering self-collection options to patients who may benefit, as well as continuing to provide comprehensive gynecologic care.

Yale Pathology is the central lab processing FDA‑approved, self‑collected HPV tests for Yale New Haven Health System and accepts orders from clinicians and practices outside Yale.

“There is a global campaign to eliminate cervical cancer. We have the tools available, and if implemented properly, it’s achievable in the next 10 or 20 years. The HPV vaccine is a critical component, as is screening,” Dr. Sheth says.