Acceptability and ease of use of mailed HPV self-collection among infrequently screened women in North Carolina

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Creator
  • Anderson, C.
    • Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Breithaupt, L.
    • Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Des Marais, A.
    • Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Rastas, C.
    • School of Medicine
  • Richman, A.
    • Other Affiliation: East Carolina University
  • Barclay, L.
    • Other Affiliation: American Sexual Health Association
  • Brewer, N.T.
    • Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Smith, J.S.
    • Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
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.
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Resource type
  • Article
Journal title
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections
Journal volume
  • 94
Journal issue
  • 2
Page start
  • 131
Page end
  • 137
Language
  • English
Version
  • Postprint
Funder
  • National Cancer Institute, NCI: R01CA183891, U54CA156733
  • National Institutes of Health, NIH
ISSN
  • 1368-4973
Publisher
  • BMJ Publishing Group

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