A pilot study on the acceptability and feasibility of HPV self-sampling for cervical cancer screening among women attending urban hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana.

BACKGROUND

Self-sampled HPV testing followed by timely treatment has shown promise in increasing screening uptake and improving cervical cancer outcomes. However, in low-resource countries like Ghana, its adoption and sustainability face significant challenges.

METHODS

This cross-sectional pilot study comprised a convenience sample of women presenting at two healthcare facilities in Ghana: Kumasi South Hospital and South Suntreso Hospital. Following consent, a pre-and post-collection survey was administered by a trained study nurse to examine women's preferences and experiences with self-sampling. Participants were then asked to self-collect an HPV sample followed by a clinician-conducted exam using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). Samples were tested for HPV genotypes using the Seegene Anyplex HPV28 Test.

RESULTS

Sixty women were enrolled. After performing HPV self-collection, 91.7 % (n = 55) stated that they would prefer self-sampling instead of a clinician-collected Pap smear. Prior to the self-collection process, 40.0 % (24 women) gave high ratings for the overall acceptability of HPV self-collection. This increased to 86.7 % (52 women) after the self-collection process. Of the 60 women, 25 % (15/60) tested positive for HPV and 6.7 % (4/60) were confirmed positive by VIA examination. Overall agreement between the two procedures was fair (κ=0.24).

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study supports the feasibility of HPV self-sampling and its potential to increase access to cervical screening in Ghana.