Do cervical cancer screening patient information leaflets meet the HPV information needs of women?

New human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA technologies for the detection and prevention of cervical cancer have led to exciting changes in cervical cancer screening worldwide. Their introduction, however, has left many women with unanswered medical and psychosocial HPV questions. This study considered the degree to which women's own HPV questions were addressed in Australian cervical cancer screening patient information leaflets.

Based on previous qualitative research that asked women to identify their own HPV information needs, categories of interest were identified and a coding framework was developed. Manifest content analysis was conducted by counting the number of times a category of interest was stated in the text of the patient information leaflets (n=75). Latent content analysis methodology was employed to assess the underlying and embedded meaning within the leaflets.

Women's medical questions were addressed more frequently than psychosocial ones. Leaflets were designed for specific target audiences (Aboriginal, lesbian, older women, women with disabilities, HPV-specific, cervical cancer-specific and general Pap screening) and the type and amount of HPV information varied by group. Merging the manifest and latent results, we identified three broad themes for discussion: the medicalisation of women's cervical screening experience, the purpose and target audience of cervical screening leaflets and HPV as a community versus women's health issue.

Women's questions on HPV were inconsistently and often inadequately answered.

In order that women's information needs are met, more accurate and balanced representations of medical and psychosocial HPV information should be provided in patient information leaflets.