# HPV DNA testing and self-sampling

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/hpv-testing/  
OnCo record `hpv-testing` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A swab tested for the virus that causes cervical cancer, more accurate than the Pap smear and doable at home.

## Summary

HPV primary screening detects CIN3+ more sensitively than cytology and allows 5-year intervals; it is the WHO-recommended screening test and is standard in the Netherlands, Australia, England, and increasingly the US. Self-collected vaginal samples perform as well as clinician samples for PCR-based tests; the FDA approved self-collection in health-care settings in May 2024 and the first at-home kit in 2025. Extended genotyping and methylation triage (FAM19A4/miR124-2) reduce colposcopy referrals. Point-of-care and AI-read tests target low-resource settings.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: standard-of-care
- Last checked: 2026-09-07
- Principle: Nucleic acid amplification or hybrid capture of high-risk HPV types (16, 18 and 12 others) from cervical or vaginal cells.
- Since: 2003
- Strengths: Higher sensitivity for precancer than cytology; Self-sampling reaches never-screened women; Long safe intervals cut cost
- Limitations: Lower specificity in young women (transient infection); Needs triage (cytology, genotyping, methylation) before colposcopy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPV_DNA_test
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPV_DNA_test

## Connected records

- technologies: [Colposcopes and digital cervical screening devices (DYSIS, EVA System, AVE)](https://onco.cc/technologies/colposcopes-digital-cervical-screening/), [Colposcopy and excisional treatment (LEEP/LLETZ, cone)](https://onco.cc/technologies/colposcopy-excision/), [Hand-held and point-of-care ultrasound](https://onco.cc/technologies/hand-held-ultrasound/), [HPV & HBV vaccination](https://onco.cc/technologies/hpv-vaccine/), [Thermal ablation and cryotherapy for cervical precancer](https://onco.cc/technologies/precancer-ablation/), [Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical screening](https://onco.cc/technologies/via-cervical-screening/)
- cancers: [Anal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma)](https://onco.cc/cancers/anal/), [Anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (precursor)](https://onco.cc/cancers/anal-hsil-precursor/), [Cervical cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/cervical/), [Early cervical cancer and fertility-sparing surgery](https://onco.cc/cancers/early-cervical-cancer/), [Oropharyngeal cancer (tonsil and base of tongue)](https://onco.cc/cancers/oropharyngeal-cancer/), [Vaginal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/vaginal/), [Vaginal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-associated)](https://onco.cc/cancers/vaginal-squamous-cell-carcinoma/)
- fronts: [Diagnostics & Biomarkers](https://onco.cc/fronts/diagnostics/), [Early Detection & Screening](https://onco.cc/fronts/early-detection/)
- terms: [Cervical precancer (CIN, HSIL/LSIL)](https://onco.cc/terms/cin-hsil/)
- trials: [De-ESCALaTE HPV](https://onco.cc/trials/de-escalate/), [Mumbai VIA cervical screening trial (Tata Memorial)](https://onco.cc/trials/mumbai-via-screening/), [Osmanabad cervical screening trial (HPV testing vs cytology vs VIA)](https://onco.cc/trials/osmanabad-hpv-screening/), [RTOG 1016](https://onco.cc/trials/rtog-1016/)
- journals: [Tumour virus research](https://onco.cc/journals/tumour-virus-research/)
- ideas: [Single-dose HPV vaccination plus HPV self-sampling to reach WHO elimination in low-income countries](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-single-dose-hpv-self-sampling-elimination/)
- people: [Harald zur Hausen](https://onco.cc/people/harald-zur-hausen/), [Henrietta Lacks](https://onco.cc/people/henrietta-lacks/), [Jade Goody](https://onco.cc/people/jade-goody/), [Partha Basu](https://onco.cc/people/basu-partha/), [Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan](https://onco.cc/people/sankaranarayanan-rengaswamy/), [Surendra Shastri](https://onco.cc/people/shastri-surendra/)
- bottlenecks: [Most of the world has almost no cancer care](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-global-access/), [Prevention we already have is not deployed](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-prevention-adoption/)
- key papers: [England's HPV programme: cervical cancer down 87% in the first cohort vaccinated at 12-13](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-hpv-vaccine-england-lancet-2021/), [HPV screening for cervical cancer in rural India (Osmanabad)](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-sankaranarayanan-hpv-screening-nejm-2009/), [Self-collected HPV samples are as accurate as clinician samples and reach women who never attend screening](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-hpv-self-sampling-bmj-2018/), [Swedish registry study: HPV vaccination almost eliminates cervical cancer when given before 17](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-hpv-vaccine-sweden-nejm-2020/)
- institutions: [BC Cancer](https://onco.cc/institutions/bc-cancer/), [ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research](https://onco.cc/institutions/icmr-nicpr/), [University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center](https://onco.cc/institutions/unm-cancer-center/)
- pathways: [Oncogenic viruses](https://onco.cc/pathways/oncogenic-viruses/)
- companies: [Hologic](https://onco.cc/companies/hologic/), [MobileODT](https://onco.cc/companies/mobileodt/)
- roadmaps: [Cancer prevention roadmap: tobacco control and vaccines → biomarker-guided chemoprevention → interception in carriers](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/prevention-roadmap/), [Global access and affordability roadmap: essential medicines and generics → biosimilars and frugal trials → reliance, pooling and homegrown innovation](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/global-access-roadmap/)

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