In May 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a first-of-its-kind, at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) test – an important tool in the early detection of cervical cancer. The rapid approval is especially significant because self-collection was only approved in physicians’ offices, urgent care facilities, and other health care settings in 2024.
Improvements in the availability—and accuracy—of self-collection tools allow more patients, including those who do not have access to a local clinic or who find the test uncomfortable or painful, to stay up-to-date on screenings for HPV and cervical cancer. As of 2023, nearly 25 percent of women aged 21-65 years were not up to date with their cervical cancer screenings. In a study conducted by Teal Health, the company who developed the self-collection device, 86 percent of participants said they'd be more likely to stay up-to-date on cervical cancer screenings if they could screen themselves at home.
Louisiana Sees Massive Improvements in Screening Through Targeted Accessibility Efforts
Building on the successes of at-home tests and traveling cancer screening vehicles, Louisiana is among the states using novel approaches to increase access for patients.
CrescentCare, a health center receiving funding from Louisiana Cancer Prevention & Control Programs, provides cervical cancer screening to people with low incomes, without health insurance, or who face other financial or transportation barriers. However, many doctors at CrescentCare did not have experience providing cervical cancer screening and needed to refer patients to other clinics. From November 2020 to March 2023, the Louisiana Cancer Prevention & Control Programs worked with the health center to train more doctors to perform Pap tests on site.
Through its collaboration with Louisiana Cancer Prevention & Control Programs, CrescentCare improved referral, education, and scheduling processes for both patients and physicians. The health center further enhanced access to cervical cancer screenings with evening and weekend hours and by providing English and Spanish translation assistance on site. As a result of these improvements, cervical cancer screenings have more than tripled at CrescentCare, from roughly 500 cervical cancer screenings in 2020 to nearly 1,700 in 2023.
A Multi-Pronged Approach is Key to Reducing Cancer Incidence and Improving Patient Outcomes
As with other cancers, outcomes related to cervical cancer improve with a multi-pronged approach to prevention, screening, and treatment. Successful efforts include: