Dread Pap smears? Federal guidelines now allow for a self-swab HPV test

Federal guidelines are expanding the options for cervical cancer screenings beyond the often-disliked Pap smear

Federal guidelines are expanding the options for cervical cancer screenings beyond the often-disliked Pap smear.

According to new recommendations released Monday by the Health Resources and Services Administration (part of the Health and Human Services Department), women ages 30 to 65 with an average risk of cervical cancer can opt for a self-administered HPV test.

The test detects human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer — a disease that claims more than 4,000 lives each year in the U.S.

Per the new recommendations, women should get an HPV test every five years, either via self-swab or administered by a clinician. Doctors should still make Pap smears available, the guidelines say, though they’re no longer the preferred cervical cancer screening method for women ages 30 and up. HRSA still recommends Pap smears every three years for women ages 21 to 29.

“The guideline also requires most private insurance plans to cover screening and necessary follow-up testing without cost sharing, helping reduce out-of-pocket costs that can deter care,” HRSA told NBC News in a statement.