Table 1. Comparison of cervical cancer screening methods [2].

	Carcinogenic HPV testing	Cytology (Pap)	Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA)
Brief definition	Molecular testing for carcinogenic HPV, which is the etiologic cause of cervical cancer	Microscopic evaluation of cervical cells to look for abnormalities associated with cervical cancer	Visual inspection of the cervix to look for lesions, which turn white in the presence of 5% acetic acid
General testing logistics	Sample is self-collected or provider-collected during a pelvic exam and sent to a laboratory for testing	Cells are collected from the cervix by a provider during a pelvic exam and sent to a laboratory for evaluation	Provider applies dilute acetic acid during a pelvic exam and evaluates the cervix with adequate illumination
Infrastructure required	Medium	High	Low
Sensitivity	High	Medium	Variable
Specificity	Medium	High	Variable