Detection of Cervical Precancer Using Visual Inspection Method with Acetic Acid

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gynecology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cervical cancer screening is a governmental priority.
• Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is a cost-effective screening method, suitable for resource-constrained settings.
• VIA is as accurate as cytological tests and can be performed by trained paramedics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To screen women in the community for pre-cancerous cervical lesions using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA).
• To determine the prevalence of VIA positivity in a community-based setting.

Main Methods:

• A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted over three months (March-June 2023).
• Married, non-pregnant women aged 30-60 years were screened at health camps.
• Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square tests were used for analysis.

Main Results:

• 1255 women were screened, with a 14.3% screen positivity rate.
• Positive results were distributed across parities (13-19%), with 47.2% in the 34-40 age group.
• No significant differences in screen positivity were observed based on parity or vaginal discharge; menopausal women had 7.7% positivity.

Conclusions:

• Community-based VIA screening revealed a prevalence of positivity double that of previous facility-based studies.
• Screen positivity showed no significant association with parity, menopausal status, or vaginal discharge.
• Higher positivity rates were observed in women aged 30-45 years.