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Journal of Women's Health (2002) Oct 2017It has been reported that Pap smear use is higher among U.S. women who received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine than unvaccinated women. This study assessed the...
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that Pap smear use is higher among U.S. women who received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine than unvaccinated women. This study assessed the role of provider and patient in the difference of Pap smear use by vaccination status.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 5416 young women (21-30 years of age) with detailed information on Pap smear use and HPV vaccination status from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2013-2015. Vaccinated women received at least one dose of HPV vaccine. Main outcomes included Pap smear in the past year, provider's recommendation for Pap smear, and patient-initiated Pap smear.
RESULTS
The prevalence of Pap smear in the past year was much higher among vaccinated women than unvaccinated women (67.5% vs. 52.8%, p < 0.001). Compared with unvaccinated women, vaccinated women were more likely to receive a provider's recommendation for Pap testing (60.8% vs. 50.8%, p < 0.001), to obtain Pap testing after receiving a provider's recommendation (75.1% vs. 67.9%, p = 0.004), and to initiate Pap testing themselves (57.7% vs. 38.2%, p < 0.001). However, among women who visited an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) in the past year, the positive association between HPV vaccination and Pap smear recommendation and uptake vanished.
CONCLUSIONS
Unvaccinated women who have not visited an OB/GYN in the past year are less likely to receive a recommendation for Pap testing from their providers or to initiate Pap testing themselves without a provider's recommendation. They should be encouraged to visit an OB/GYN provider for cervical cancer screening.
Topics: Adult; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Guideline Adherence; Health Care Surveys; Humans; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomavirus Infections; Papillomavirus Vaccines; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; United States; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaccination; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 28841084
DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2017.6424 -
Medicine Nov 2021This study aimed to evaluate the emotional path, impact on everyday life, and adequacy of patient education throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic journey of women...
This study aimed to evaluate the emotional path, impact on everyday life, and adequacy of patient education throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic journey of women who received a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) test or Pap smear result.An online survey was designed to determine the demographic characteristics, dominant feelings throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, major lifestyle changes, impact on social life, and perceived adequacy of patient information in Italian women with a positive HPV test or abnormal cervical cytology result. In this study, the phases of the "patient's journey" included the initial test, waiting for colposcopy or biopsy, waiting for surgery, and follow-up.Anxiety, worry, and fear were the most frequently cited emotions during the initial tests and intervals between procedures. Anxiety and fear gradually decreased during the journey until surgery, and higher levels of optimism were observed postsurgery. The most frequently reported lifestyle changes were attempts to boost the immune system, increased precautions in sexual practices, and dietary changes. Social life is affected by changes in sexual and intimate relationships with partners. Women reported receiving insufficient patient education on the diagnosis and its implications, progression, management, personal care, and resolution.Significant attention should be given to the psychosocial aspects of the entire patient journey after receiving a positive HPV test or an abnormal Pap smear result. It is essential to establish a good rapport between patients and healthcare professionals, and to educate women regarding the condition by minimizing the gap between the perceived and desired adequacy of information.
Topics: Alphapapillomavirus; Anxiety; Female; Humans; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomaviridae; Papillomavirus Infections; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Uterine Cervical Dysplasia
PubMed: 34766557
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000027177 -
Cancer Cytopathology Mar 2020
Topics: Cytodiagnosis; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Mobile Health Units; Papanicolaou Test; Peru; Rural Population; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Volunteers
PubMed: 31816158
DOI: 10.1002/cncy.22212 -
JPMA. the Journal of the Pakistan... Jun 2022To assess knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and paramedical staff about cervical cancer as well as its screening and prevention.
OBJECTIVES
To assess knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and paramedical staff about cervical cancer as well as its screening and prevention.
METHODS
The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from March 1 to August 30, 2019, and comprised women medical and paramedical staff randomly selected from different specialties. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.
RESULTS
Of the 347 participants 144(41.5%) were nurses and 203(58.5%) were doctors. The overall mean age was 26.22±6.38 years. Of the total, 108(30%) respondents were married and 239(68%) were single. Overall, 239(68.8%) were well aware of Pap smear being the screening test; 85(24.5%) were aware of the true guidelines to repeat the test; 152(43.8%) had an idea of the exact use of visual Inspection with acetic acid; 61(17.6%) had got a Pap smear done; and 156(45%) thought they were at risk of developing carcinoma cervix. The common risk factors identified were multiple sexual partners 254(73.2%), age at first sexual intercourse 160(46%), smoking 131(37.8%), foul-smelling discharge 221(63.7%), and post-coital bleeding 231(66.6%).
CONCLUSIONS
Cervical cancer prevalence is rising due to inadequate knowledge and awareness among healthcare personals. Improvement can be brought by regular use of Pap smear.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Mass Screening; Nursing Staff; Papanicolaou Test; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tertiary Care Centers; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 35751302
DOI: 10.47391/JPMA.1443 -
Indian Journal of Cancer 2016Cancer cervix is the leading cause of cancer deaths in females in developing countries and one in five women suffering from cervical cancer lives in India.
BACKGROUND
Cancer cervix is the leading cause of cancer deaths in females in developing countries and one in five women suffering from cervical cancer lives in India.
AIMS
The aim of this study is to determine the awareness about cervical cancer and Pap smear among nurses working in a tertiary care institute. Study Setting and Design: Cross-sectional survey in a tertiary care institute.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Nurses working at our institute excluding those who have worked or working in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department were provided with a pre-designed questionnaire testing their knowledge about cervical cancer.
RESULTS
Approximately, 86% were aware about cancer cervix and 69% were aware of a pre-cancerous stage. 42.3% were not aware of any risk factor and 27.6% were not aware of any symptom of cancer cervix. 86.2% were aware about Pap smear, but only 58.6% were aware that facilities of Pap smear were available at our hospital.
CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge about cervical cancer and awareness of Pap smear as screening test was inadequate in nursing staff. Awareness programs about cervical cancer and screening are needed to increase awareness for this preventable condition.
RECOMMENDATION
There is a need to arrange reorientation programs to sensitize nurses and establish cytology clinics to offer facilities for easily accessible and affordable screening.
Topics: Adult; Awareness; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; India; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Papanicolaou Test; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Tertiary Care Centers; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Young Adult
PubMed: 27146744
DOI: 10.4103/0019-509X.180823 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Jul 2020Cervical cancer is preventable. In Malaysia, women are found to have good awareness of the disease and yet, the Pap smear uptake is still poor. Measuring health literacy...
BACKGROUND
Cervical cancer is preventable. In Malaysia, women are found to have good awareness of the disease and yet, the Pap smear uptake is still poor. Measuring health literacy level could explain this discrepancy. This study aims to determine the relationship between health literacy, level of knowledge of cervical cancer and Pap smear with attitude towards Pap smear among women attending pre-marital course.
METHODS
A cross sectional study was performed in three randomly selected centres that organised pre-marital courses. All Malay Muslim women participants aged 18 to 40 years old were recruited while non-Malaysian, illiterate, and had hysterectomy were excluded. Validated self-administered questionnaires used were European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16 Malay) and Knowledge and attitude towards Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Questionnaire. The mean percentage score (mean± SD) was calculated, with higher scores showed better outcomes. Multiple linear regression was used to measure the relationship of independent variables with attitude towards Pap smear.
RESULTS
A total of 417 participants were recruited with a mean age of 24.9 ± 3.56 years old. Prevalence of awareness of cervical cancer was 91.6% (n=382, 95% CI: 89.0%, 94.2%) and mean percentage score was 74.7%±7.6. Prevalence of awareness of Pap smear was 59.0% (n=246, 95% CI: 54.2%, 63.8%) and mean percentage score was 80.2% ± 6.5. The health literacy mean score was 13.3±3.6, with minimum score 0 and maximum score 16. The mean percentage score of attitudes towards Pap smear was 64.8%±9.3. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated significant relationship between health literacy (p=0.047) and knowledge of Pap smear (p<0.001) with attitude towards Pap smear.
CONCLUSION
A higher health literacy with high knowledge of Pap smear improves the attitude towards Pap smear. Pre-marital course is an opportunistic platform to disseminate information to improve health literacy and knowledge of cervical cancer and Pap smear screening.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Literacy; Humans; Islam; Malaysia; Marriage; Papanicolaou Test; Prognosis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 32711428
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.7.2021 -
Saudi Medical Journal Jun 2020To assess the yield of Papanicolaou tests (pap smears), including the characteristics of abnormal pap smears. Methods: In this record-based cross-sectional study, we...
To assess the yield of Papanicolaou tests (pap smears), including the characteristics of abnormal pap smears. Methods: In this record-based cross-sectional study, we reviewed pap smears of patients seen at the Family Medicine clinics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center from January 2002 to January 2017. All women between the ages of 21 and 65 were included. Study-specific case report form was developed to capture patient demographics, pap smear histopathology (Bethesda III System), human papilloma virus polymerase chain reaction (HPV PCR), and the parity status. Results: A total of 3346 patients were included; 2.2% had abnormal pap smear. Most frequent abnormalities were atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (2%), followed by glandular cell abnormalities (0.8%). Human papilloma virus infection was detected in 6.5% and all other infections were identified in 9.2% of all screened Pap smears. Conclusion: Pap smears remain an effective tool for cervical cancer screening. Low yields of pap smears compared to other developed countries could be attributed to lower risk factors for cervical cancer in Saudi Arabia. Routine screening especially among high risk women is strongly recommended.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomavirus Infections; Primary Health Care; Saudi Arabia; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 32518936
DOI: 10.15537/smj.2020.6.25085 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Mar 2021This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear testing among Omani...
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear testing among Omani women attending primary healthcare centers in Oman, and to establish a correlation with various sociodemographic characteristics.
METHODS
A multi-center cross-sectional survey was carried out from August 2019 to January 2020 and included 805 women attending 18 primary healthcare centers. A pre-tested questionnaire was utilized to assess the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, cervical cancer risk factors, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, and Pap smear testing.
RESULTS
All 805 women participated in the study (response rate: 100%). Overall, 67.5% and 50.9% had heard of cervical cancer and Pap smear testing, respectively; however, only 13.4% and 10.9% demonstrated high levels of knowledge concerning these topics. Knowledge was significantly associated with educational level, type of educational qualification (i.e. if their degree was related to healthcare), monthly income, and employment status (p ≤ 0.05 each). Only 15.7% of the participants had previously undergone Pap smear testing, although 42.7% were willing to undertake such screening in future. No associations were noted between Pap smear practice or willingness and sociodemographic characteristics, family history of cervical cancer or personal history of cervical cancer or related risk factors.
CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge regarding cervical cancer and Pap smear testing was suboptimal among a cohort of Omani women attending primary healthcare centers in Oman. This may be a factor behind the increased number of cervical cancer cases in Oman; as such, a well-structured awareness and educational program is needed to address this issue.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Educational Status; Employment; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Income; Oman; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomavirus Infections; Primary Health Care; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 33773541
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.3.775 -
Sao Paulo Medical Journal = Revista... Jul 2019If nurses and midwives undergo cervical cancer screening regularly, they can become role models for other women regarding this screening.
BACKGROUND
If nurses and midwives undergo cervical cancer screening regularly, they can become role models for other women regarding this screening.
OBJECTIVES
The aims here were (i) to determine factors associated with undergoing cervical cancer screening; and (ii) to examine the association of cervical cancer screening periodicity with cervical cancer risk levels among nurses and midwives.
DESIGN AND SETTING
Cross-sectional study in a public hospital.
METHODS
466 nurses and midwives participated in this study. The relationships between undergoing Pap smear screening and sociodemographic characteristics, cervical cancer risk factors, perception of cervical cancer risk and calculated cervical cancer risk levels were examined. Cervical cancer risk levels were determined using the "Your Disease Risk" assessment tool (Washington University).
RESULTS
35% of the nurses and midwives had undergone Pap smear testing at least once in their lifetimes. The odds of having undergone Pap smear testing were higher among smokers (odds ratio, OR: 2.08; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.24-3.48) and among those who perceived their risk of cervical cancer to be high (OR: 3.60; 95% CI: 1.36-9.51). The frequency of undergoing Pap smear testing at least once in a lifetime was higher among primiparae (OR: 17.99; 95% CI: 6.36-50.84) and secundiparae (OR: 41.53; 95% CI: 15.01-114.91) than among nulliparae. No relationship was found between Pap smear test periodicity and calculated risk level.
CONCLUSION
There is a need to assess motivational barriers that might lead to low levels of Pap smear screening among nurses and midwives who are role models for women regarding cervical cancer prevention.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Mass Screening; Midwifery; Nurses; Papanicolaou Test; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Time Factors; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Young Adult
PubMed: 31314871
DOI: 10.1590/1516-3180.2018.0244230119 -
Ginekologia Polska 2023Long-term exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a known cause of squamous intraepithelial lesions that lead to cervical cancer. The loop electrosurgical excision...
OBJECTIVES
Long-term exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a known cause of squamous intraepithelial lesions that lead to cervical cancer. The loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) conization is an established treatment method. According to the latest recommendations, we present a paper to evaluate the effectiveness of various diagnostic methods of squamous intraepithelial lesions.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
We analyzed 229 patients who reported to District Public Hospital in Poznan to undergo LEEP conization in 2019-2021 during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic. The analysis included Pap smear/liquid-based cytology, HPV genotyping, colposcopy with targeted biopsy and LEEP-conization. We offered post-treatment HPV vaccination and, as a follow-up, performed HPV re-genotyping after six months.
RESULTS
In total, 89.1% of patients were HPV-positive. The coloscopy-directed biopsy (CDB) results show that almost 70% of the patients had high-grade intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). The diagnosis obtained by LEEP-conization showed that half of the women were diagnosed with HSIL and one-third with the low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL). The sensitivity of Pap smear/LBC accounted for 93.7% and was lower than for CDB, which reached 95.1%. Both diagnostic methods tend to underestimate the final diagnosis.
CONCLUSIONS
The inclusion of a colposcopic examination in an in-depth diagnostic process in women with abnormal Pap smear results facilitates the identification of patients requiring therapeutic intervention. LEEP-conization may be used without the primary biopsy. It applies to multiparous women in the perimenopausal period, extensive abnormalities, discrepancies in test results, extensive visible abnormalities, and suspicion of invasive cervical cancer in the colposcopic examination.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Conization; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Colposcopy; SARS-CoV-2; Papillomavirus Infections; Pandemics; Retrospective Studies; COVID-19; Biopsy; Papanicolaou Test; Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 36043301
DOI: 10.5603/GP.a2022.0081