Self-collected vaginal swabs usable for HPV dx: adolescent population.(Children's Health)(human papillomavirus)

ST. LOUIS -- Vaginal swabs self-collected by adolescents appear to he a reasonable alternative to clinician-collected cervicovaginal swabs when testing for human papillomavirus, Dr. Jessica Kahn reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

Because the results of self-collected and clinician-collected samples didn't differ significantly, self-collection might increase screening among adolescents who are averse to speculum exams or who are seen in nontraditional settings, said Dr. Kahn of Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati.

It has been shown that self-collected and clinician-collected samples in adults yield similar human …