title: Women's Attitudes Toward Cervicovaginal Self-Sampling for High-Risk HPV Infection on the US-Mexico Border.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the acceptability and intention to use cervicovaginal self-sampling for high-risk human papillomavirus infection after receiving an educational intervention among the predominantly Hispanic population residing along the US-Mexico border.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women received an educational intervention about cervical cancer prevention through screening with conventional cytology and with self-sampling for high-risk human papillomavirus. After the educational intervention, women performed the self-sampling test. Women's attitudes toward the self-sampling test and cervical cytology were assessed and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 110 women aged 30 to 65 years completed the study. The mean (SD) age of the population was 48 (9.3) years. Most (87%) self-identified as being Hispanic and half were born in Mexico; 16% had not had cervical cytology done in 3 years. Self-sampling was more acceptable than cervical cytology; mean (SD) acceptability scores were 25.0 (2.9) and 22.7 (3.0), respectively, with the maximum possible score being 28 (p < .001). A large proportion (42.7%) of women preferred both tests equally. We found high intention to use and recommend self-sampling. Contrary to previous studies, there were no differences between cervical cytology and self-sampling regarding women's concerns about performing the test well and the accuracy of the test, which we attribute to the educational intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high acceptability of self-sampling after participants received education about the test and the reported intention to use it if made available add to the evidence on the feasibility of integrating self-testing within cervical cancer screening guidelines.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Family and Community Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, USA; 2Department of Public Health, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX; and 3Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, El Paso, TX.
authors.forename: Eribeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Penaranda
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molokwu
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Navkiran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shokar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012646:Self Administration / Q000379:methods*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*