TY - JOUR
T1 - Anal Cancer and Anal Cancer Screening Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceived Risk among Women Living with HIV
AU - Rodriguez, Serena A.
AU - Higashi, Robin T.
AU - Betts, Andrea C.
AU - Ortiz, Cynthia
AU - Tiro, Jasmin A.
AU - Luque, Amneris E.
AU - Barnes, Arti
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Objectives The aims of the study were (1) to describe anal cancer knowledge, perceived risk, screening barriers, and acceptability of sample self-collection among women living with HIV (WLWH) at an integrated safety-net system and (2) to describe differences in demographic and psychosocial variables among a subsample of WLWH with a history of abnormal cervical cytology results versus those with normal results. Materials and Methods We conducted telephone surveys with English-and Spanish-speaking WLWH (N = 99) and used electronic health record data to extract insurance type, CD4+ cell count, RNA viral load, and cervical cytology results. We calculated descriptive statistics for participant demographics, HIV laboratory results, and psychosocial variables. Among the subsample of women who completed a recent cervical Pap, we used Fisher exact test to assess differences in demographic variables, CD4+ counts, RNA viral loads, knowledge, awareness, acceptability, and perceived risk by cervical cytology results. Results Most participants (70%) reported knowing nothing about anal cancer; 28% correctly responded that HIV increases one's chance of getting anal cancer. Most (68%) never heard of an anal Pap test. Forty percent would get an anal Pap if they could self-collect the sample, whereas 59% were neutral or disagreed. The 2 most commonly cited barriers to obtaining an anal Pap were "I do not know enough about it"(n = 15) and "It might hurt"(n = 9). Conclusions This study highlights a gap in knowledge and awareness among WLWH regarding their heightened risk for anal cancer. It indicates the need for health education and suggests an opportunity for a self-collection intervention.
AB - Objectives The aims of the study were (1) to describe anal cancer knowledge, perceived risk, screening barriers, and acceptability of sample self-collection among women living with HIV (WLWH) at an integrated safety-net system and (2) to describe differences in demographic and psychosocial variables among a subsample of WLWH with a history of abnormal cervical cytology results versus those with normal results. Materials and Methods We conducted telephone surveys with English-and Spanish-speaking WLWH (N = 99) and used electronic health record data to extract insurance type, CD4+ cell count, RNA viral load, and cervical cytology results. We calculated descriptive statistics for participant demographics, HIV laboratory results, and psychosocial variables. Among the subsample of women who completed a recent cervical Pap, we used Fisher exact test to assess differences in demographic variables, CD4+ counts, RNA viral loads, knowledge, awareness, acceptability, and perceived risk by cervical cytology results. Results Most participants (70%) reported knowing nothing about anal cancer; 28% correctly responded that HIV increases one's chance of getting anal cancer. Most (68%) never heard of an anal Pap test. Forty percent would get an anal Pap if they could self-collect the sample, whereas 59% were neutral or disagreed. The 2 most commonly cited barriers to obtaining an anal Pap were "I do not know enough about it"(n = 15) and "It might hurt"(n = 9). Conclusions This study highlights a gap in knowledge and awareness among WLWH regarding their heightened risk for anal cancer. It indicates the need for health education and suggests an opportunity for a self-collection intervention.
KW - HIV/AIDS
KW - HPV
KW - anal Pap test
KW - safety-net
KW - self-collection
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U2 - 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000578
DO - 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000578
M3 - Article
C2 - 33149011
AN - SCOPUS:85098213199
SN - 1089-2591
VL - 25
SP - 43
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease
JF - Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease
IS - 1
ER -