Cervical cancer screening rates in the USA fall behind national targets, requiring innovation to circumvent screening barriers. Cervical cancer screening where human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is performed on vaginal samples collected by the patients themselves (self-sampling) are effective and acceptable, and patient-operated rapid HPV tests (self-testing) are currently under development. It is unclear why there is ambivalence toward HPV self-sampling and self-testing among clinicians, an important stakeholder group. We conducted a mixed convergent quantitative and qualitative study to identify the factors influencing clinicians’ attitudes toward self-sampling and self-testing.

A survey of Midwest clinicians distributed by professional group media and a market research firm between May and November 2021 was analyzed (n = 248) alongside in-depth interviews with Midwest clinicians from professional groups (n = 23). Logistic regression models examined willingness to support self-sampling and self-testing across respondent characteristics.

We report that family practice physicians and those in rural areas were more willing to adopt HPV self-sampling (adjusted OR (aOR) = 3.16 [1.43–6.99]; aOR = 2.17 [1.01–4.68]). Clinician willingness to support self-testing was positively associated with current use of self-testing for other conditions and negatively associated with performing 10 or more monthly cervical cancer screenings (aOR = 2.02 [1.03–3.95], aOR = 0.42 [0.23–0.78]). Qualitative data contextualize how clinical specialty and experience with self-sampling and self-testing for other conditions inform clinician perspectives.

These data suggest clinician populations most accepting of initiatives to implement self-sampling and self-testing for cervical cancer screening and highlight that experience with other forms of self-testing could facilitate more widespread adoption for cervical cancer.