Assessing the role of education in women's knowledge and acceptance of adjunct high-risk human Papillomavirus testing for cervical cancer screening.
OBJECTIVE
To assess women's knowledge, concerns, and willingness for adjunct high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing before and after an educational intervention.


METHODS
At the time of their annual gynecologic examination, women aged 30 years and older received an educational intervention about HR-HPV. Subjects completed preintervention and postintervention questionnaires. Demographic characteristics were summarized using frequency measures. Comparisons between the pre-education and posteducation questionnaires were performed using Fisher exact test.


RESULTS
Fifty women completed the study. After the educational intervention, 77% of women were willing to be tested for HR-HPV. Sixty-seven percent of women would be likely to return for their annual gynecologic examination even if a Pap smear was not required for 3 years. Education statistically reduced concern regarding a positive HR-HPV result with 60% pre-education and 27% posteducation very concerned (p =.002). When surveyed about what their concerns would be if tested positive for HR-HPV, women associate future cervical cancer diagnosis (38% pre-education vs 48% posteducation, p =.903) but not partner infidelity (0%) with testing positive for HR-HPV. Knowledge concerning HPV, cervical cancer, and cervical cancer screening was statistically improved after the educational intervention in all but 2 questions.


CONCLUSIONS
Women 30 years and older are willing to have adjunct HR-HPV testing, with education reducing their degree of concern about testing positive. Women who test positive would be most concerned about getting cervical cancer. Women would be willing to return for yearly gynecologic examinations, even if a Pap smear was not needed for 3 years. Education improves women's knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer, and cervical cancer screening, but did not allay the concern for getting cervical cancer.
Papa
Debra
D
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. papad@ummhc.org
Moore Simas
Tiffany A
TA
Reynolds
Megan
M
Melnitsky
Hannah
H
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000821:virology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears