title: Feasibility of self-collection of specimens for human papillomavirus testing in hard-to-reach women.
abstract: To study the feasibility of self-collected specimens for testing human papillomavirus (HPV) status among hard-to-reach women, outreach nurses recruited women in women's centres, shelters and alleys in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Of the 151 participants for whom samples were available, 43 (28.5%) tested positive for high-risk HPV. Outreach nurses were able to recontact 81.4% of the participants who tested positive and referred them for further testing. About 14% (21/151) of participants had never received a Papanicolaou smear in British Columbia, as compared with 8.3% (608/7336) of women in the BC general population (p < 0.05). This difference suggests that self-collection of specimens for HPV testing is a feasible method to reach women who have not previously participated in cervical cancer screening programs.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC. gina.ogilvie@bccdc.ca
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ogilvie
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krajden
authors.forename: Juanita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maginley
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isaac-Renton
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hislop
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elwood-Martin
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.forename: Darlene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rekart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014505:Urban Population; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral