Acceptability and Validity of Hpv Self-Sampling for Cervical Cancer Screening among Women Living with and without HIV in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

Adebola Adejimi, Department of Community Health and Primary Care, University of Lagos, Lagos
Kehinde Okunade, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Lagos, Lagos
Adekunbiola Banjo, Department of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology, University of Lagos, Lagos

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing with self-collected genital samples and timely follow-up care has the potential to improve the prevention of cervical cancer among women. This study compared the acceptability and validity of self-collected genital sample for HPV screening for cervical cancer prevention among women living with and without HIV in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Awareness and overall knowledge of HPV infection was low among the study population and this was significantly lower among women living with HIV than women without HIV. However after a brief information on HPV and cervical cancer, a significantly higher proportion of women living with HIV (93.1%) compared to women without HIV (87.1%) accepted HPV self-sampling method for collection of genital samples. HPV self-sampling method was valid when compared to the clinician-collected genital samples. Acceptance of HPV self-sampling method can be achieved by increasing the awareness about it and HPV infection for the prevention of cervical cancer among women.