Cervical cancer incidence continues to rise across Canada. Unlike some other cancers,
cervical cancer is largely preventable through a combination of vaccination and routine
screening. Cervical cancer screening was introduced in British Columbia in 1955 using the
Papanicoulau smear which requires a cervical specimen be obtained during a pelvic exam.
However, the pelvic exam has been identified by patients as a barrier to participation in cervical
cancer screening. Today, vaginal human papillomavirus testing provides a safe, validated
alternative to the Papanicoulau smear. Importantly, the human papillomavirus specimen can be
collected by patients themselves using a vaginal swab, thereby removing pelvic exam-related
barriers to cervical cancer screening. Specimen self-collection tends to be preferred by patients,
however primary care providers' perspectives on its use are not known. Primary care providers,
including nurse practitioners, have the potential to impact their patients' health behaviours, and
as such, understanding providers' perspectives on the use of self-collection is an important
consideration in order to reduce the burden of cervical cancer.
