Acceptability of HPV self-collection: A qualitative study of Black women living with type II diabetes and social vulnerability

Introduction

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes 99.7% of cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer is preventable through early detection via HPV testing. However, the number of women screened for cervical cancer has not increased in the last several years. Lower screening rates among women living in high poverty and social vulnerability areas, Black women, and women with chronic co-morbidities (e.g., type 2 diabetes (T2D)) are associated with their higher cervical cancer mortality rates. When screened, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages and die from cervical cancer. HPV self-collection decreases barriers to cervical cancer screening and can help lessen disparities among underserved women. This study aimed to examine the acceptability of HPV self-collection among Black women with T2D living in socially vulnerable communities.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 Black women with T2D living in communities with high social vulnerability. The Health Belief Model informed the development of the interview guide to gather data on the acceptability of HPV self-collection.

Results

Three main themes aligned with the Health Belief Model were identified: (1) HPV self-collection provides a comfortable alternative to in-clinic HPV testing (perceived benefits); (2) HPV self-collection would result in awareness of current HPV status (health motivation); and (3) Women were concerned about collecting their sample accurately (perceived barriers).

Discussion/Conclusion

Black women with T2D living in communities with high social vulnerability identified multiple benefits of cervical cancer screening through HPV self-collection. Women are concerned about their ability to collect these samples correctly. Our findings call for future studies focusing on increasing self-efficacy and skills to collect HPV samples among Black women with chronic conditions like T2D who reside in underserved communities with high social vulnerability.