Abstract
Objectives
Although cervical cancer screening is available to all Thai women, incidence and mortality remain high because uptake remains low. The national health benefits package now covers self-collected human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing, which may reduce barriers. We explored the perceived feasibility and acceptability of self-collected HPV DNA testing within Thailand’s national cervical cancer screening policy.
Methods
We conducted individual, in-depth interviews with 40 participants to explore their perspectives. Participants were healthcare providers involved in cervical cancer screening (
n
= 20) and women aged 25–65 years targeted by the program (
n
= 20). Interviews were conducted at a university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, and guided by tailored open-ended question lists for each group.
Results
Most participants perceived self-collected HPV DNA testing as acceptable and potentially feasible for reducing barriers and increasing screening uptake. Reported concerns included inaccurate specimen collection, transport difficulties, and risk of injury. Participants emphasized that public outreach and education for both women and providers are essential to policy success. They also stressed that women at risk, or with gynecologic symptoms, must be examined by a clinician. Providers further called for a consensus clinical-practice protocol for cervical cancer screening.
Conclusions
Self-collected HPV DNA testing was perceived as acceptable and was supported by both providers and target women. Raising awareness of the importance of screening is critical to maximizing uptake. However, self-collected HPV DNA testing cannot replace clinical assessment of symptomatic women. Rather, it should be offered as an additional option to increase participation among non-attenders.