Acceptability of a multicomponent, community-based, HPV self-test intervention among Jamaican women

This study suggests that a multicomponent, community-based intervention that includes education and self-testing for the virus that causes cervical cancer (i.e., Human Papillomavirus, HPV) might increase screening rates. Community outreach workers were hired and recruited 163 women from two low socioeconomic status communities in Kingston, aged 30 to 65  years, and who had not had a Pap test in at least 3 years, to use an HPV self-test kit. Almost all the women (95.6%) used and returned the kit and reported in structured interviews that it was easy to use and preferable to visiting a doctor. Paired samplest-tests revealed that participants perceived higher threat of cervical cancer, greater susceptibility to cancer, greater sense of self-efficacy, and more positive screening social norms at post-test than at pretest. Among returners, 22% had an oncogenic HPV type detected in their sample. Findings demonstrate high acceptability of the HPV self-test among Jamaican women and, therefore, the potential of HPV self-test tools to increase screening uptake. Community-based approaches to disseminate this tool, such as outreach workers and educational small group sessions, appear to be culturally appropriate and effective in this context.
Source: Cancer Causes and Control - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research