Patient perception of cervical screening among women living with human immuno-deficiency virus infection attending an antiretroviral therapy clinic in urban South Africa

Summary This study aims to ascertain the perception of cervical screening practices among HIV-positive women attending an ART clinic in urban South Africa. It is a prospective cross-sectional study of 100 randomly selected patients using semi-structured interviews. Answers to fixed-response question...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 2009-01, Vol.29 (1), p.44-48
Main Authors: Wake, R. M., Rebe, K., Burch, V. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Ambulatory Care Facilities
Antiretroviral drugs
Black people
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia - complications
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia - prevention & control
Cross-Sectional Studies
Drug therapy
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
HIV
HIV Infections - complications
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Papanicolaou Test
Patients
Perceptions
Risk Factors
South Africa
Urban areas
Uterine Cervical Dysplasia - complications
Uterine Cervical Dysplasia - prevention & control
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - complications
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - prevention & control
Vaginal Smears - psychology
Women
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Summary:Summary This study aims to ascertain the perception of cervical screening practices among HIV-positive women attending an ART clinic in urban South Africa. It is a prospective cross-sectional study of 100 randomly selected patients using semi-structured interviews. Answers to fixed-response questions were recorded for statistical analysis and themes were identified from responses to open-ended questions. The study found that 59% of women surveyed reported ever having had a Papanicolau (Pap) smear and that 41% of these women had never been notified of the result. Many women surveyed lacked understanding of cervical screening; 78% had never heard of cervical cancer and around 40% had no correct knowledge about Pap smears. The findings suggest that cervical screening practices among HIV-positive women living in urban South Africa do not comply with the recommendations that are based on evidence of increased risk for this population. Systematic cervical screening programmes should be offered to HIV-positive women attending ART clinics in South Africa.
ISSN:0144-3615
1364-6893
DOI:10.1080/01443610802484070