Acceptability of HPV self-sampling for cervical-cancer screening: a pilot study

Invasive cervical cancer remains an important public health problem. Despite the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP), new cases continue to occur, largely because not all women participate in the NCSP.

We will conduct a pilot study to examine the acceptability of self-sampling for a cervicovaginal specimen for hr-HPV testing among NZ women. We will recruit 40 Māori, 40 Pacific and 40 Asian un- (no screening smears) and under-screened (no smears for >6 years) women through our collaborating partner, Porirua Union and Community Health Services (PUCHS). The women will be asked to try each of the devices in a specific (randomised) order and rank them. The questionnaire will be used to assess: their experience with each device; acceptability of each of the procedures (before and after using the devices), including whether they would use it as part of the NCSP; their preferences for the different devices (before and after using the devices); their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about HPV and cervical cancer; enablers/barriers to screening; screening history; and, demographic details.  

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Brewer N, Foliaki S, Bromhead C, Viliamu-Amusia I, Pelefoti-Gibson L, Jones T, Pearce N, Potter J, Douwes J. Acceptability of Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling for Cervical-Cancer Screening in Under-Screened Māori and Pasifika Women: A Pilot Study. NZ Med J, 2019; 132 (1497): 21-31.