Why the HPV test is replacing the Pap smear to detect cervical cancer in Canada

The HPV test has some advantages over the Pap test, which is why provinces and territories are transitioning to use as the primary form of cervical cancer screening.

Changes to cervical cancer screening for women are underway in Canada that could help detect high-risk pre-cancerous infections.

At least two provinces have already said they would replace the old Pap test and move to the human papillomavirus (HPV) test as the primary screening method for cervical cancer. Several others are also looking at making the switch.

Prince Edward Island announced in May that the HPV test would be used instead of the Pap smear at three-year to five-year intervals, as it can detect high-risk strains of the virus, which are more likely to cause cancer.

Quebec announced last year that it would offer HPV testing as the primary screening test for cervical cancer every five years to all women aged 25 and older in the province in May 2022, saying it is “more sensitive than the Pap test” — which is recommended every three years.

HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada, with more than 70 per cent of sexually active adults estimated to develop it at some point in their lives.

The World Health Organization says HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer especially if the infection persists, but most infections resolve on their own without symptoms.

The move towards HPV testing as the first stage in a cervical cancer screening program would not only help better detect precancer or cancer but could cut overall costs as it is done less frequently, experts say.

Dr. Togas Tulandi, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at McGill University in Montreal, said the switch to HPV testing is a “very good idea.”