Early detection of cervical cancer in under- or never-screened women

Abstract

This is a 3-arm prospective intervention study to assess the user take-up acceptability of a HPV self-sampling and testing device as a cervical cancer screening strategy. The first arm will be the control (standard practice), the second arm will be the community outreach/mobilization for education (women receive information about sexual health and cervical cancer and are referred to local clinics for screening), and the third arm will be the community outreach/mobilization for education (women receive information about sexual health and cervical cancer and receive on-site HPV testing and results). This study uses a community-based participatory approach in which women from hard-to-reach populations become community-based researchers, co-creators, and ambassadors of this pilot study in their local communities or groups. Our participatory approach also requires that research agreements will be established with the leaders (in the case of hard-to-reach villages, neighborhoods, communities, tribes or clans) and/or stakeholders (in the case of hard-to-reach women in large cities, from specific ethnic or cultural groups, etc.) in hard-to-reach communities for this study. Relationships will be built with local hard-to-reach communities through site visits, meetings, presentations, and public information about the project. The objectives of the study are to determine the take-up an on-site HPV screening intervention among hard-to-reach women; and to determine the acceptability of an on-site HPV screening intervention among hard-to-reach women and their healthcare providers. (AU)