AWHP Supports USPSTF's Updated Draft Cervical Cancer Guidelines

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 "A" rating of co-testing is critical to ensure patient-provider choice and access

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) issued new draft guidelines for cervical cancer screening.

Haywood Brown, MD, Senior Associate Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs for USF Health, Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs for the Morsani College of Medicine at the University South Florida, Member of AWHP's Board of Directors and Former President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):

"I am pleased to see the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force safeguard access to cervical cancer screening through the Pap and HPV tests in their draft guidelines, which will aid in detecting, diagnosing and treating cervical cancer earlier and more effectively. For more than a decade, co-testing with Pap and HPV has been a widely adopted, preferred and proven method for cervical cancer screening in the U.S., detecting almost 95% of cervical cancers and over 99% of precancers. Together these tests provide the greatest sensitivity in detecting disease and can play an important role in women's preventive healthcare. 

As an OB-GYN and national leader in women's health disparities, I am deeply concerned by cervical cancer incidence and the disparate impact this disease has on communities of color, and therefore urge the Task Force to finalize its recommendations and protect access to co-testing."

In making the final recommendations, AWHP encourages the Task Force to prioritize patient-provider decision-making and early detection while considering the health equity impacts of their guidance.

An AWHP-commissioned Ipsos survey of 1,000 women about their experiences with healthcare underscores how insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs are critical to how and when women access preventive care and highlight the existing disparities in cervical cancer screenings. Further, it shows an overwhelming majority want guidelines that determine insurance coverage of preventive services to prioritize affordability, early detection, patient-provider decision making and health equity impacts.

AWHP will continue to champion access to preventive healthcare for all women, including the most comprehensive screening options for cervical cancer.

About AWHP

The Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) non-profit organization working to ensure that all women and girls have access to high-quality preventive care. Our mission is to advance policy that drives equitable access and prevents the burden and progression of disease to improve the lives and health of all women and girls.

For more information, please visit WomensHealthandPrevention.org and follow us on LinkedIn and X @AWHPOrg.

SOURCE Alliance for Women’s Health & Prevention