Self-Sampling for Cervical Cancer Screening in Transmasculine and Nonbinary People

Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), and many cases of invasive cancer have been attributed to lack of screening. Transmasculine and nonbinary patients are more likely to be underscreened than cisgender women for a variety of reasons, and high-risk HPV self-sampling has been proposed as a method to increase screening uptake in this population. This narrative review is among the first to assess HPV self-sampling as a cervical cancer screening modality in transmasculine and nonbinary populations. Self-sampling for HPV detection is highly accepted in transmasculine and nonbinary populations, with the majority preferring self-sampling to any form of clinician-collected samples, although preferences varied across studies and choice of methods is important. In one study, offering the option to self-sample increased adherence to cervical cancer screening for transmasculine and nonbinary patients. More research is needed to further guide follow-up recommendations and to show the long-term effect of this modality on adherence to screening. Clinicians caring for transmasculine and nonbinary patients should feel comfortable offering high-risk HPV self-testing as an option for cervical cancer screening.