News|Articles|May 3, 2026

ACOG Issues New Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines: Expert Insights for Primary Care

Fact checked by: Sydney Jennings

ACOG 2026: The new guidance formally introduces clinician-ordered self-collected HPV testing as an option for cervical cancer screening.

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) recently released new cervical cancer screening guidance, marking the first time that ACOG guidance has included a screening option for patient-collected high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing.1,2 At ACOG’s 2026 Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting, held in Washington, DC, May 1-3, coauthors Akiva P. Novetsky, MD, MS, of New York Medical College, and Kimberly S. Gecsi, MD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, presented the new guidance. Both Gecsi and Novetsky sat down with Patient Care Online to discuss the updated guidance and what it means for primary care.


References:

  1. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. ACOG Publishes Updated Cervical Cancer Screening Guidance. News release. April 23, 2026. Accessed May 3, 2026. https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2026/04/acog-publishes-updated-cervical-cancer-screening-guidance
  2. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists’ Committee on Clinical Consensus–Gynecology. Screening for Cervical Cancer. Obstetrics & Gynecology. Published online April 24, 2026. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000006257

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