Survey Conducted in the US, UK and Sweden
Exposes Lack of Education on Options and Unclear Guidance on HPV
Testing
FRANKLIN
LAKES, N.J., Jan. 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and
Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company,
today announced the results of a Harris Poll survey of women in the
U.S., U.K. and Sweden, which
shines a spotlight on the differences in access to cervical cancer
screening and prevention.
According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer
kills more than 340,000 women globally, every year. It is the
fourth most frequent cancer in women, yet it could be virtually
eliminated through a comprehensive approach that includes
prevention and screening. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause
of virtually all cervical precancer and cancer.
Barriers to access
Most women in these countries have delayed a gynecology visit
(67% U.S., 62% Sweden, 59% U.K.),
primarily due to discomfort with pelvic exams (28% U.S., 38%
Sweden) or embarrassment (33%
U.K.). Notably, U.S. women are about twice as likely to say they
have delayed a gynecology visit because they didn't have an OB/GYN
(27% U.S. vs. 16% Sweden, 14%
U.K.) or insurance coverage (19% U.S. vs. 8% U.K., 3% Sweden). These results highlight that health
equity in the U.S. is lacking, with just 60% of U.S. women
reporting that health care in the U.S. provides equal access to all
racial and ethnic groups (compared to 79% in Sweden and 76% in the U.K.).
Self-collection for cervical cancer screening is a viable option
for increasing access and health equity. It is already available in
countries around the world, including Denmark, Sweden, the
Netherlands, Kenya,
Australia and New Zealand. The study found that the majority
of women say they would be comfortable doing a self-collected
vaginal test at home to screen for cervical cancer (65%
Sweden, 63% U.K., 56% U.S.) and
most women (70% U.K., 69% Sweden
and 66% U.S.) would be interested in at-home screening for HPV or
cervical cancer. Reasons given include being more comfortable in
the privacy of their own home, having the ability to administer the
test themselves (without a doctor) and not having to make time
through an appointment to see a health care practitioner. Notably,
younger women are more likely to be interested in self-collection
across all three geographies surveyed.
When asked why they might be interested in at-home screening for
HPV or cervical cancer, of those interested, women in the U.S. – a
country where self-collection is not available -- are twice as
likely as women in European countries to want to self-collect at
home because it might be less expensive (42% U.S. vs. 25%
Sweden, 15% U.K.).
"Self-collection as an additional option could lead to earlier
detection of precancer and prevention of cancer," said Nikos Pavlidis, acting president, Diagnostic
Solutions at BD. "All women should have access to HPV screening.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of self-collection
using HPV testing as the basis for risk stratification would be a
first step in the right direction to broaden access in the United States."
Clarity is lacking
Women in the U.K. are more likely to say they are knowledgeable
about how often women their age should be screened for cervical
cancer (70% vs. 59% US and 44% Sweden), yet the survey found that 36% of U.K.
women incorrectly believe that women aged 30-65 need a
cervical screening test every year. This awareness gap is more
strongly present in the U.S., with 61% whose understanding is
incorrect. (In the U.S., the American Cancer Society recommends HPV
primary screening for cervical cancer every five years for women
aged 25-65.)
Additionally, 73% of Swedish women, 59% of U.S. women and 46% of
U.K. women mistakenly believe that Pap (Papanicolaou) tests are the
most accurate test for detecting cervical cancer. Most women in the
U.S. (65%) know that some types of HPV put women at a higher risk
for developing cervical cancer than others, but less than half of
U.S. women (49%) recognize that certain ethnicities are more
negatively affected by cervical cancer and pre-cancer than
others.
"A Pap test looks for existing abnormalities, including cervical
precancer or cancer," said Dr. Jeff
Andrews, a gynecologist and vice president of medical
affairs for Integrated Diagnostic Solutions at BD. "An HPV assay is
more sensitive than Pap tests and can identify the potential for
abnormalities to develop. When a woman has a positive HPV result,
it is important to know what kind of HPV she has—there are
different types or strains. The risk of progression varies by type
and by duration. And persistence of infection with the same type
can be determined with an HPV assay that reports the types."
Education is key
The results showed that most women consider cervical cancer
screening a critical part of their health management (86%
Sweden, 81% U.K., 76% U.S.).
However, many women find the guidance on cervical cancer screening
confusing (59% Sweden, 57% U.S.,
55% U.K.) and do not understand the difference between a Pap test
and an HPV test, despite the fact that HPV is the cause of
virtually all cervical cancers. Additionally, women's knowledge
about cervical cancer and HPV is lacking, especially in
Sweden where only 28% of women
consider themselves knowledgeable about cervical cancer screening
options, versus 62% of women in U.K. and 59% of women in the
U.S.
"As a physician, I have an obligation to educate patients about
ways to prevent and options to screen for cervical precancer," said
Dr. Andrews. "As patients, women deserve more information on how
they are being tested, including the type of test, how often they
are being tested and why. Screening techniques advance and
guidelines change. My patients are interested in knowing more about
HPV, the types, the risks, and management of abnormal results. More
knowledge about high-risk HPV types and cervical cancer screening
can empower people with a cervix to take greater control of their
own health."
This survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,112
U.S. women ages 18+ (Nov. 17-21,
2023); 506 women ages 18+ residing in the U.K. (Nov. 21-23, 2023); and 520 women ages 18+
residing in Sweden (Nov. 22-25, 2023). The sampling precision of
Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible
interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to
within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level for
the U.S. sample, +/- 3.3 percentage points for the U.K. sample, and
+/- 3.7 percentage points for the Swedish sample.
For complete research method and additional survey results,
please contact mela.sera@bd.com.
About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in
the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical
discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company
supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing
innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance
both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health
care providers. BD and its more than 70,000 employees have a
passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of
clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to
accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to
develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has
a presence in virtually every country and partners with
organizations around the world to address some of the most
challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration
with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase
efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For
more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on
LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/, X (formerly Twitter)
@BDandCo or Instagram @becton_dickinson.
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SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)