Acceptability and ease of use of mailed HPV self-collection among infrequently screened women in North Carolina. (2nd September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anderson, Chelsea; Breithaupt, Lindsay; Des Marais, Andrea; Rastas, Charlotte; Richman, Alice; Barclay, Lynn; Brewer, Noel T; Smith, Jennifer S
• Is Part Of: Sexually transmitted infections. Volume 94:issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 131
• Page End: 137
• Publication Date: 2017-09-02
• Subjects: cervical neoplasia -- HPV -- screening -- Uterine cervical neoplasms -- early detection of cancer -- papillomavirus infections -- United States -- female -- humans; Sexually transmitted diseases -- Periodicals; HIV infections -- Periodicals; 616.951005
• DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2017-053235
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-4973

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: Self-collection of cervico-vaginal samples for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing has the potential to make cervical cancer screening more accessible to underscreened women. We evaluated the acceptability and ease of use of home-based HPV self-collection within a diverse population of low-income, infrequently screened women. Methods: Participants were low-income women from North Carolina who had not received Pap testing in 4 or more years. Eligible women received a self-collection kit containing instructions and a brush for home-based sample collection. A total of 227 women returned a self-collected sample by mail and completed a questionnaire to assess their experiences with HPV self-collection. We described acceptability measures and used logistic regression to identify predictors of overall positive thoughts about the self-collection experience. Results: Nearly all women were willing to perform HPV self-collection again (98%) and were comfortable receiving the self-collection kit in the mail (99%). Overall, 81% of participants reported positive thoughts about home-based self-collection. Women with at least some college education and those who were divorced, separated or widowed were more likely to report overall positive thoughts. Aspects of self-collection that participants most commonly reported liking included convenience (53%), ease of use (32%) and privacy (23%). The most frequently reported difficulties included uncertainty that the self-collection was done correctly (16%) and difficulty inserting the self-collection brush (16%). Conclusions: Home-based self-collection for HPV was a highly acceptable screening method among low-income, underscreened women and holds the promise to increase access to cervical cancer screening in this high-risk population.