Abstract

Self-collected cervical cancer specimens might be deemed an acceptable alternative comparable to doctor samples in detecting human papillomavirus (HPV) with satisfactory results in low- and middle-income nations. The purpose of this review was to analyze the acceptability of self-sampling and compare HPV detection results between self- and clinical samples. An updated systematic evaluation has been presented of studies conducted since 2019 on the acceptability of self-sampling and comparing HPV detection results inclusively in low- and middle-income countries. Databases such as Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane, and PubMed were thoroughly examined for pertinent studies. The full keyword combinations were “acceptability, HPV, Human papillomavirus, self-collection, cervical, cancer samples, doctor collection.” The research that compared HPV detection findings from samples acquired using one’s own body (self) to those collected by clinicians was analyzed. The papers based on the complete text were selected. Only nine out of the 86 studies were submitted for review met the inclusion criteria. These were four comparative clinical studies, two cross-sectional studies, one observational study, and one survey that included ACCESS as part of the evaluation. This study contained 511,237 samples, which were divided into self-collected and doctor-collected samples. The results of this research demonstrated that HPV self-collection is feasible for screening. Offering women, the option of self-sampling or clinical screening appears to be well justified; this proposes incorporating a self-sampling system that expands screening options and improves the effectiveness of the national health program.

Key words: Acceptability, human papillomavirus, cervical cancer, samples, systemic review