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Knowledge and Attitudes of HIV-Infected and Uninfected Women Regarding HPV and Cervical Cancer
Abstract   Open access   Peer reviewed

Knowledge and Attitudes of HIV-Infected and Uninfected Women Regarding HPV and Cervical Cancer

Sandra L Urdaneta, Rajashri Rasal, Ngoc Thien Nguyen, Kalatu R Davies, Seth L Welles, Gregg D Alleyne, Laniece Coleman, Erika Z Aaron and Michele Follen
Journal of women's health (Larchmont, N.Y. 2002), v 21(4), pp A-25-A-25
Apr 2012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2012.Ab01 (p25)
url
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/jwh.2012.Ab01View
SubmittedOpen Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Background: High-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV),a sexually transmitted infection (STI), cause cervical cancer. Women diagnosed with HIV (HIV+) have a higher rate of HPV infection at the time of diagnosis than uninfected women (HIV-),and they also have increased risk for cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions, which precede invasive cervical cancer. Objectives: This pilot study assessed the baseline knowledge and attitudes regarding HPV and cervical cancer in HIV+ and HIV-women attending outpatient primary care facilities in Philadelphia, PA. Methods: We conducted an anonymous survey of 100 HIV+ and 100 uninfected (HIV-) women. Results: Overall, 64% were‡35 years old, 61% were non-His-panic Black and 53% were single. More than 80% of the study participants had‡12 years of formal education, 34% were employed full-time and 50% had annual income below the poverty line. Most women (85% HIV+; 82% HIV-) reported having had a Pap smear within the last year. More than half (58%) of the HIV+ women reported that they had an abnormal Pap smear compared to 33% of HIV-women. HIV+ women were more likely to have had an abnormal Pap smear (OR: 2.9; 95% Confidence Interval:1.6,5.2; p=0.001). Only 16% of HIV+ and 14% of HIV-women received all three doses of the HPV vaccine. Good to excellent knowledge about HPV infection, disease and prevention was lowest among HIV+ women (15% HIV+; 27% HIV-;p=0.01). Conclusions: HIV+ women are significantly less knowledge-able about HPV-infection, cervical cancer and prevention than HIV-women. Cervical cancer is a preventable through education and preventive screening. Therefore, greater efforts are necessary to educate HIV+ women about HPV infection as acausal agent of cervical cancer and the importance of cervical cancer screening. A comparative study is planned in Nigeria.

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