Hong Kong warns against HPV screenings involving sanitary pad self-collection
Department of Health says it is addressing claims made by businesses, citing ‘insufficient’ scientific evidence for such methods
Hong Kong health authorities have warned against using human papillomavirus (HPV) screening methods that involve collecting menstrual blood with sanitary pads, citing “insufficient” scientific evidence for their efficacy.
The Department of Health said on Sunday that it was responding to claims made by businesses that menstrual blood could be collected using sanitary pads, then self-sampled and mailed to a laboratory for testing for the virus. It did not name any brands.
“The Department of Health … reminded members of the public that there is currently insufficient scientific evidence, both locally and internationally, to confirm the reliability of using menstrual blood for cervical screening,” it said.
It added that the department would continue to review the latest scientific evidence in this field.
The department launched a pilot scheme for HPV testing using self-collected vaginal samples to study the method’s feasibility in 2024, following recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) that self-sampling was a “reliable method for cervical screening”.
HPV is a type of sexually transmitted infection that the WHO has said causes more than 95 per cent of cervical cancer cases.
According to local statistics, cervical cancer was the ninth most common female cancer in Hong Kong in 2022, with 522 new cases and 167 deaths.