Hologic's Women's Health Index Flags Alarming Gaps in STI Screening

Hologic’s HOLX fifth edition of the Global Women’s Health Index highlights a persistent screening gap for key preventable conditions. Developed in partnership with Gallup, the Index tracks progress in women’s health and well-being worldwide, based on an annual survey of 145,000 people in 144 countries and territories.

In year five, 39% of women were tested for high blood pressure, 13% for cancer and 24% for diabetes — all up several points from the previous year and also at their five-year highs. However, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing was the only area that showed no improvement, with just 10% of women reporting being tested for an STI in the past 12 months, unchanged since year one. This leaves nearly 2 billion women of reproductive age at risk of infertility, increased maternal and fetal mortality, and serious diseases.

Hologic’s Aptima family of molecular diagnostic assays covers common STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, certain high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) strains, Mycoplasma genitalium and Herpes Simplex viruses 1 and 2. The FDA-cleared BV and CV/TV assays for diagnosing vaginitis — a prevalent health issue affecting millions of women annually — now rank as the company’s second-largest assay worldwide. These tests have been a major growth driver for the past several quarters. Overall, Molecular Diagnostics business revenues fell 3.5% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, partly due to lower sales of Aptima CT/NG and HPV assays and related collection devices.

In 2026, an estimated 13,490 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are likely to be diagnosed, with roughly 4,200 deaths — many of which are preventable with regular screening and appropriate follow-up on abnormal results. In February, Hologic expanded its cervical health portfolio with FDA approval for Aptima HPV Assay for clinician-collected HPV primary screening.

HOLX’s Peer Updates

QIAGEN QGEN recently received FDA clearance for the use of all QIAstat-Dx Gastrointestinal Panels on the QIAstat-Dx Rise automated syndromic testing system. With this development, laboratories can now run respiratory and gastrointestinal panels, including comprehensive and Mini panels, on one scalable automated system. QIAGEN launched QIAstat-Dx Rise in the United States in September 2025 to address the rising demand for higher testing capacity and increased automation in molecular diagnostics laboratories.

GE HealthCare GEHC has completed the acquisition of medical imaging software provider Intelerad. The latter’s technology and customer base will extend GE HealthCare’s reach into high-growth specialized clinics and ambulatory care environments, complementing the company’s strength in hospital-based imaging. Intelerad’s revenues in the first full year of ownership are expected to be roughly $270 million, of which approximately 90% is recurring.

The Zacks Rundown for Hologic

In the past 12 months, Hologic shares have risen 23.1% against the industry’s 6.7% fall.

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In terms of valuation, Hologic is trading at a forward five-year price-to-earnings (P/E) of 16.11X, lower than its median and industry average.

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Take a look at how estimates for Hologic’s earnings are shaping up.

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HOLX stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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