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Health Equity in Africa

Facilitators and Barriers to HPV Self-Sampling as a Cervical Cancer Screening Option among Women Living with HIV in Rural Uganda

Facilitators and Barriers to HPV Self-Sampling as a Cervical Cancer Screening Option among Women Living with HIV in Rural Uganda

There is a paucity of studies exploring women living with HIV’s (WLWH) experiences relating to human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling as cervical cancer (CC) screening approach, either at the clinic or at the home setting, using qualitative methods. This study explored facilitators and barriers to HPV self-sampling as a CC screening approach among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women, as supported by the new WHO guidelines of using the HPV test as a screening modality. This study concluded that early diagnosis for HPV and CC enhances clinic-based HPV self-sampling, while privacy enhances the home-based HPV self-sampling approach. However, fear of finding a disease and the lack of knowledge of HPV and CC hinders HPV self-sampling. Finally, designing pre- and post-testing counselling programs in HIV care is likely to increase the demand for HPV self-sampling.

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