-
Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare :... Jun 2017To describe women's experiences of abnormal Pap smear result.
OBJECTIVES
To describe women's experiences of abnormal Pap smear result.
METHODS
Ten women were recruited from a women's health clinic. Qualitative interviews based on six open-ended questions were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by content analysis.
RESULTS
The women believed that their abnormal Pap smear result was indicative of having cancer. This created anxiety in the women, which resulted in the need for emotional support and information. Testing positive with human papillomavirus (HPV) also meant consequences for the relatives as well as concerns about the sexually transmitted nature of the virus. Finally, the women had a need to be treated with respect by the healthcare professionals in order to reduce feelings of being abused.
CONCLUSIONS
In general, women have a low level of awareness of HPV and its relation to abnormal Pap smear results. Women who receive abnormal Pap smear results need oral information, based on the individual women's situation, and delivered at the time the women receive the test result. It is also essential that a good emotional contact be established between the women and the healthcare professionals.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomavirus Infections; Patient Education as Topic; Physician-Patient Relations; Qualitative Research; Social Support; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Uterine Cervical Dysplasia
PubMed: 28477928
DOI: 10.1016/j.srhc.2017.01.002 -
Journal of Microscopy Sep 2017Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is the most common genital infections that are seen every day in clinics. This infection is due to excessive growth of Candida that are...
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is the most common genital infections that are seen every day in clinics. This infection is due to excessive growth of Candida that are normally present in the vagina in small numbers. Diagnosis of VVC is routinely done by direct microscopy of Pap smear samples and searching for the Candida in the Pap smear glass slides. This manual method is subjective, time consuming, labour-intensive and tedious. This study presents a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) method to improve human diagnosis of VVC. The proposed CAD method reduces the diagnostic time and also can be worked as a second objective opinion for pathologists. Our main objective is detection and extraction of mycelium and conidium of Candida fungus from microscopic images of Pap smear samples. In this regard, the proposed method is composed of three main phases, namely preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction and classification. At the first phase, bottom-hat filtering is used for elimination of the cervical cells and separating the background. Then decorrelation stretching and colour K-means clustering are used for Candida segmentation. Finally the extracted features used by a decision tree classifier to detect Candida from other parts of smear. The proposed method was evaluated on 200 Pap smear images and showed specificity of 99.83% and 99.62% and sensitivity of 92.18% and 94.53% for detection of mycelium and conidium, respectively.
Topics: Algorithms; Automation, Laboratory; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Microscopy; Papanicolaou Test; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Vaginal Smears; Workflow
PubMed: 28419509
DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12566 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... 2016Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer among women worldwide. Pap smear screening has resulted in deceasing incidence of cervical cancer in developed countries but...
Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer among women worldwide. Pap smear screening has resulted in deceasing incidence of cervical cancer in developed countries but low uptake of Pap smear screening among women in developing countries is still a public health challenge. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between self-efficacy and timely uptake of Pap smear among Iranian women. A total of 580 married women referred to primary health care centers covered administratively by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran were administered a questionnaire by trained staff. Data were analyzed with SPSS (version 16) software, using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The mean age for participants was 33.1±8.8 years. There was a significant association between self-efficacy and Pap smear screening (P<0.01). There was also a positive correlation between duration of marriage and husband's education with Pap smear uptake (P<0.01). In univariate analysis, there was a significant association between Pap smear uptake and level of self-efficacy (OR = 15.3 for intermediate and OR=7.4 for good level), duration of marriage (OR = 5.7 for 5-14 years and OR=10.4 for more than 15), age (OR =2.7 for 27-34 years and OR=7.4 for more than 35 years) and husband education level (OR=2.3 for more than 12 years of education). In multivariate analysis, significant associations persisted between Pap smear uptake and self-efficacy (OR = 23.8; 95% CI: 8.7, 65.5), duration of marriage (OR = 5.9; 95% CI: 2.8, 12.2), age (OR = 3.9; 95% CI: 1.2, 12.9) and husband's education (OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 2.0, 10.3). Efforts are needed to increase women's knowledge about cervical cancer and improve their self-efficacy and perceptions of the Pap smear screening in order to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Iran; Mass Screening; Papanicolaou Test; Prognosis; Self Efficacy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 27165236
DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2016.17.s3.263 -
Sante Publique (Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy,... 2015In the event of an ASC-US Pap smear, colposcopy, 6-month Pap smear or screening for oncogenic HPV are recommended as first-line testing options by the French National...
AIM
In the event of an ASC-US Pap smear, colposcopy, 6-month Pap smear or screening for oncogenic HPV are recommended as first-line testing options by the French National Authority for Health -HAS. The primary objective of this study was to determine the preferred option chosen by general practitioners and to assess their follow-up care.
METHODS
The Maine-et-Loire cancer screening database was used to extract 283 files of women, aged 25 to 65, in whom ASC-US Pap smear was performed by their general practitioners (GPs) in 2011.
RESULTS
265 women (93.6%) underwent their first test (C1]. GPs performed 64.5% of tests: 93% of which were Pap smears, 5.3% were HPV tests and 1.7% were Pap smears combined with HPV tests. 164 patients (58%) received comprehensive follow-up, i.e 2 tests after the first ASC-US pap smear or a therapeutic intervention after an abnormal Cl. 14 patients were lost to follow-up. Follow-up rate was 57.6% in the case of a normal C1 and 83.3% in the case of an abnormal C1. 79.2% of first tests were normal and a total of 16 high-grade lesions were diagnosed (5.7%).
CONCLUSION
The fact that liquid-based Pap smears were rarely used might explain why HPV testing is rarely prescribed. The rarity of ASC-US anomalies, the variable potential for progression and the possibility to choose between several follow-up options proved to be obstacles for GPs to apply guidelines. The poor coordination . between gynaecologists and GPs, the difficulties in planning follow-up and the lack of precision of test reports may limit the efficacy of monitoring.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Atypical Squamous Cells of the Cervix; Colposcopy; Databases, Factual; Female; Follow-Up Studies; France; General Practitioners; Humans; Lost to Follow-Up; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomavirus Infections; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Retrospective Studies; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 26752032
DOI: No ID Found -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2015Although immunostained cervical Pap smears are not yet FDA approved for clinical use, it is very likely that they will become widely employed in the near future to...
Although immunostained cervical Pap smears are not yet FDA approved for clinical use, it is very likely that they will become widely employed in the near future to identify neoplastic squamous and iendocervical glandular cells when screening liquid-based cytological preparations (i.e., SurePath™ or ThinPrep™). The current problem with cytology complemented by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is poor specificity. HPV testing provides superior sensitivity, but many women are infected with the virus, while very few have had persistent infections leading to carcinoma. Pathologists routinely use antibodies directed against the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16 (p16(INK4a)) or a combination of antibodies directed against topoisomerase-2-alpha and minichromosome maintenance protein-2 (as in ProEx™ C) to improve diagnostic precision and accuracy in cervical tissue biopsies. This chapter will describe the immunocytochemical methods used by our group to immunostain cervical Pap smears and provide significantly improved positive predictive value when screening for cervical cancer.
Topics: Biopsy; Cervix Uteri; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomaviridae; Papillomavirus Infections
PubMed: 25348308
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2013-6_15 -
JNMA; Journal of the Nepal Medical... 2018Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in Nepal. Pap smear test is the most important screening test for cervical cancer, which helps in reducing mortality...
INTRODUCTION
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in Nepal. Pap smear test is the most important screening test for cervical cancer, which helps in reducing mortality from it. This study is to assess the knowledge of cancer cervix and practice of Pap smear test and to analyze the impact of educational status on them.
METHODS
This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out among the married women who attended the Out Patient Department for gynecological problems at Kathmandu Medical College. Structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. The questionnaire consisted of three sections , first section included the demographic profile, second part included assessment of the knowledge of cancer cervix, and third part included evaluation of the utilization of Pap smear test.
RESULTS
A total of 205 married women were included in the study. Out of them,152 (74%) were aware of cancer cervix. Only 80 (39%) of women were aware of Pap smear test. Pap smear test coverage was 34 (16.6%) in studied population. Main reason of not doing Pap smear test was lack of knowledge of the test. High educational status of the women had significant positive impact on knowledge of cancer cervix and practice of Pap smear test.
CONCLUSIONS
The knowledge of cancer cervix was good in our women, but knowledge and the practice of Pap smear test was poor. Good educational status of the women was found to influence the on knowledge of cancer cervix and uptake of Pap smear test.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Needs Assessment; Nepal; Papanicolaou Test; Risk Factors; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 30381758
DOI: No ID Found -
European Journal of Cancer Care Nov 2016A Papanicolaou (Pap) smear can be used to detect pre-cancerous cellular changes, so that they can be treated before they develop into cervical cancer. When the results...
A Papanicolaou (Pap) smear can be used to detect pre-cancerous cellular changes, so that they can be treated before they develop into cervical cancer. When the results of a Pap smear test are abnormal, women need further investigation, treatment and follow-up. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are in a position to care for these women with abnormalities. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of HCPs in caring for women with abnormal Pap smear results. In total, 20 HCPs from two counties in south-eastern Sweden participated in individual interviews, based on two open-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis. The results showed that HCPs experienced that abnormal Pap smear results created anxiety in women, who often sought information from the Internet as a way to cope. Furthermore, the HCPs thought that it was a problem that women chose not to attend investigation, treatment and follow-ups. However, information about the seriousness of abnormal Pap smear results causes women to participate. It is a challenge for HCPs to inform in a reassuring manner. Finally, HCPs should collaborate with women to meet their information needs and to also provide support regarding finding and filtering reliable information on the Internet.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Attitude of Health Personnel; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Papanicolaou Test; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Professional-Patient Relations; Sweden; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 26545562
DOI: 10.1111/ecc.12415 -
Acta Cytologica 2020YouTube is one of the most popular video-sharing platforms and is used by many people as a source of information regarding health conditions. Although there are many...
AIM
YouTube is one of the most popular video-sharing platforms and is used by many people as a source of information regarding health conditions. Although there are many studies examining YouTube health-related videos in terms of quality, content and accuracy, there is not any study observing the content of YouTube videos about the "Pap smear test." Therefore, we intended to evaluate YouTube videos related to the Pap smear test.
METHODS
We made a search by typing "Pap smear test" and observed the first 100 videos. According to our selection criteria, only 42 videos were reviewed. We used 3 different questionnaires to rate the videos. The videos were independently rated by 2 gynecologists in terms of technical aspects, follow-up protocol, and video quality.
RESULTS
Our study showed that clarity of the technical aspects of Pap smear testing (Q1) was 40% and that of the follow-up protocol (Q2) was only 11%. In terms of video quality (Q3), the adequacy rate was 34%. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between search rank and the video power index (which increased as the ranking decreased to rank 1, r: -0.481).
CONCLUSION
We did not find quality and reliable information on YouTube videos about the Pap smear test, which is important for early detection of cervical cancers. While preparing health-related videos for YouTube and similar websites, the support of professional healthcare workers will help provide more accurate content.
Topics: Consumer Health Information; Female; Humans; Papanicolaou Test; Patient Education as Topic; Social Media; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vaginal Smears; Video Recording
PubMed: 32396906
DOI: 10.1159/000507105 -
Diagnostic Cytopathology Feb 2023In India, filariasis is a severe and significant public health problem. It has been reported to be present in any potential site. However, cervicovaginal Pap smear... (Review)
Review
In India, filariasis is a severe and significant public health problem. It has been reported to be present in any potential site. However, cervicovaginal Pap smear cytology rarely contains microfilariae despite the widespread occurrence. The occurrence of microfilariae in cervicovaginal smears has seldom been reported, even as an accidental finding. In our retrospective study, four cases of clinically asymptomatic filariasis were diagnosed on a routine cervicovaginal Pap smear from January 2019 to July 2022. All microfilariae were characterized as Wuchereria bancrofti. In the present study, the majority of the cases present vaginal discharge, and the diagnosis was made by cytopathology. Therefore, it is crucial to consider and look for microfilariae in areas where they are not endemic.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Microfilariae; Parasites; Papanicolaou Test; Retrospective Studies; Filariasis
PubMed: 36269616
DOI: 10.1002/dc.25065 -
European Journal of Public Health Dec 2017In 2012 the National Screening Program for all women between 25 and 64 years of age was launched in Romania. Public awareness is an important factor in the success of a...
BACKGROUND
In 2012 the National Screening Program for all women between 25 and 64 years of age was launched in Romania. Public awareness is an important factor in the success of a screening program. For this reason, we intended to assess the perception and the level of awareness of Romanian women regarding the Pap test in the prevention of cervical cancer.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 454 women from rural and urban areas. For our study, we used a questionnaire covering general characteristics, awareness, knowledge and practices regarding cervical cancer and Pap smear.
RESULTS
431 participants (95%) had heard of cervical cancer and Pap smear but only 71.8% knew the exact role of it. Bivariate analysis showed that knowledge about the importance of the Pap smear, early detection and treatment of early-stage cervical cancer was reduced among women with low socio-economic status, mainly living in rural area. The most frequent reasons for avoiding Pap smear screening were: lack of money, embarrassment or fear of gynaecological consultation and pain, the feeling that they don't need it, misconceptions about cervical cancer, fatalistic attitude, perceived low susceptibility to cervical cancer.
CONCLUSIONS
Because the uptake and the success of cervical cancer screening are determined by women's knowledge and awareness of Pap smear, it is critical to improve these perceptions in the near future especially in rural area characterized by a low socio-economic status.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Romania; Rural Population; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban Population; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
PubMed: 29020396
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckx112