VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) for cervical cancer screening is recommended as a 'see-and-treat' strategy in low-resource settings. Which of the following BEST describes the test performance characteristics of VIA?

• A Low sensitivity but very high specificity — best for confirming cytology-positive cases
• B High sensitivity (60–80%), lower specificity (55–85%), requires colposcopy to confirm positive results ✓
• C Requires processing in laboratory with 24–48 hours turnaround time
• D Effective only in postmenopausal women where the transformation zone is endocervical

Explanation

VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) has moderate-to-high sensitivity (60–80%) for CIN 2+ lesions but lower specificity (55–85%), meaning it has a higher false-positive rate than Pap cytology or HPV DNA testing. However, it requires no laboratory infrastructure, gives immediate results, and enables same-visit cryotherapy for acetowhite lesions in a screen-and-treat protocol, making it ideal for low-resource settings. In younger premenopausal women, the squamocolumnar junction (transformation zone) is ectocervical and clearly visible — VIA sensitivity decreases after menopause when the transformation zone recedes into the endocervical canal.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.