Urine as a non-invasive alternative for HPV DNA detection: A comparative study with cervical swabs in Northeast India

This study assessed urine as a non-invasive alternative to cervical swabs for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection using nested PCR in 350 paired samples from women across five Northeastern Indian states. HPV DNA was found in 27.4% of urine and 38.3% of cervical swabs, with 21.1% concordant positives. Urine identified 22 additional positives missed by swabs, while 60 were swab-only. Using cervical swabs as the reference, urine showed 55.2% sensitivity, 89.8% specificity, and moderate concordance (κ = 0.48). Despite modest sensitivity, urine sampling may serve as a feasible, culturally acceptable adjunct for HPV screening in under-screened populations.