HPV Self-sampling in Indigenous Communities: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gynecologic Oncology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Indigenous women face disproportionately higher rates of cervical cancer and mortality.
• Access to traditional cervical cancer screening services presents unique challenges for Indigenous populations.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a primary cause of cervical cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review on the effectiveness and acceptance of HPV self-sampling among Indigenous women.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for implementing HPV self-sampling interventions in Indigenous communities.
• To assess the potential of HPV self-sampling as a strategy to improve cervical cancer screening adherence.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed and Scopus databases conducted in May 2018.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies addressing HPV self-sampling in the context of cervical cancer screening.
• Scoping review methodology used to synthesize findings from 19 selected sources.

Main Results:

• HPV self-sampling is perceived as easy, convenient, comfortable, and private, often preferred over Papanicolaou (Pap) testing.
• Research in this area, while limited, has shown recent growth.
• Some women expressed a lack of confidence in performing self-sampling adequately, despite generally positive experiences.

Conclusions:

• HPV self-sampling can be an effective intervention for improving cervical cancer screening rates in under-screened populations, including Indigenous women.
• Successful implementation requires community input and tailored supporting resources to address potential confidence issues.
• Further research is needed to optimize HPV self-sampling strategies for diverse Indigenous communities.