title: Acceptability of self-collected vaginal samples for HPV testing in an urban and rural population of Madagascar.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the acceptability of self-collected vaginal samples for HPV testing in women living in rural and urban areas of Madagascar.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited in a health care center (urban group) and smaller affiliated dispensaries (rural group). They were invited to perform unsupervised self-sampling for HPV testing and to answer a questionnaire on socio-demographic information, cervical cancer knowledge and self-sampling acceptability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 300 women were recruited. Median age was 44.1 years (range 29-65 years) in the urban group and 40.9 years (range 29-65 years) in the rural group. Urban women had improved knowledge on HPV, cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening (p<0.05) as compared to rural women. Urban women lived closer to a health care center (P<0.05), had fewer different sexual partners (P<0.05) and later first sexual intercourse (p=0.07). Unlike urban women, most rural women were married (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acceptability of self-sampling for HPV testing was similarly excellent in both groups despite their difference in terms of socio-demographic factors and knowledge about cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Broquet
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Triboullier
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Untiet
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schafer
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petignat
authors.affiliation: Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vassilakos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012424:Rural Population; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia; HPV DNA Tests; Madagascar