ACCESS Consensus Group unveils new international survey findings about women’s preferences for cervical cancer screening
Insights from an International Survey
Cervical cancer screening has traditionally been collected by a clinician, but the option to self-collect is becoming increasingly available in some countries. The ACCESS Consensus Group conducted an international survey across four high-income countries to explore how women perceive clinician-collected versus self-collected screening options and how information provision influences their decision-making.
Study Overview
The online survey was conducted in June 2025 among 4,000 women aged 30–65 years across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The survey assessed:
- Knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer screening
- Attitudes and preferences toward clinician-collected and self-collected screening options
- Perceived barriers and facilitators to screening including call-to-action preferences
- The impact of information provision on decision-making regarding screening modalities
Positive Screening Experiences, but Limited Knowledge to Compare Screening Options
The survey showed that most respondents had recent experience with cervical cancer screening:
- 80% reported undergoing screening within the past 5 years
- Among those screened, 87% were satisfied with their prior screening experience
- However, 69% reported insufficient knowledge to compare clinician-collected and self-collected screening options
Participants were first asked about their screening preferences before receiving any information about clinician- or self-sampling. At this baseline stage clinician-collected screening was preferred over self-collected screening by 71% overall across all four countries.
Information Provision Influenced Preferences
The survey then examined how comparative information about test reliability and follow-up pathways influenced women’s preferences. Participants were informed that HPV self-collection may be less reliable than clinician collection and could therefore miss some cervical disease and cancer. They were also informed that those with a positive HPV self-collected test would need to attend a follow-up appointment with a healthcare provider for further testing and, if needed, treatment.
- After reviewing the comparative information provided, preference for clinician-collected screening increased by 6 pp overall.
- Around 9 out of 10 found the information easy to understand, and around 7 out of ten reported that the information would support screening decision-making.
Healthcare Professionals Remain Central to Screening Decisions
Across all four countries, healthcare professionals were among the most trusted and preferred sources of screening information, and between 57% and 66% reported that clinician recommendations could influence their screening choices.
Implications for Screening Policies and Practice
While self-collection may address barriers such as convenience, discomfort, and embarrassment, these survey findings suggest that many women want additional information about test performance and follow-up pathways before deciding which screening option is best for them.
Although barriers and preferences varied slightly across countries, women consistently valued clear and understandable comparative information about screening options. As screening programmes and services consider expanding screening choices, communication strategies must keep pace with innovation. Ensuring women have access to clear, balanced, and accessible information will be critical to supporting informed participation and decision-making.
Disclaimer: The findings presented on this page are based on an international survey conducted by the ACCESS Consensus Group. A full manuscript describing the survey methodology, analyses, and findings has been submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal and is currently undergoing peer review. The results presented here should therefore be considered preliminary until the peer-reviewed publication becomes available.
For any questions regarding the survey, please contact secretariat@accesscg.org.
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ABOUT THE ACCESS CONSENSUS GROUP
The Advancing Cervical CancEr ScreeningS (ACCESS) International Consensus Group on Cervical Cancer is made up of professionals with a broad range of experience and expertise in women’s health — focusing on cervical cancer from clinical, epidemiological, academic, patient, and advocacy perspectives. Together, we work to review the latest available evidence that supports optimal cervical cancer screening strategies in countries with organised cervical cancer screening programmes and make recommendations to relevant stakeholders and policymakers to advance women’s health by increasing the uptake of screening amongst under-screened women.