Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention Uptake in Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects individuals across the lifespan.
• Cervical cancer prevention through vaccination and screening is crucial for women's health.
• Uptake of preventive health services can vary in neurodivergent populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the uptake rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer screening in females with ASD.
• To identify demographic and clinical factors associated with lower uptake of these preventive services.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to clinically-referred adolescent and adult females with ASD (ages 11-65).
• Participants reported on HPV vaccination status and history of pap smears.
• Chi-square analysis examined relationships between clinical/demographic variables and service uptake.

Main Results:

• 56% of adolescent and 47% of adult females with ASD received at least one HPV vaccine dose; only 41% and 34% were fully vaccinated, respectively.
• Language impairment was linked to lower HPV vaccine uptake.
• Only 38% of adult females (≥21 years) with ASD had received a pap smear; factors like language impairment, intellectual disability, and living situation were associated with non-receipt.

Conclusions:

• Females with ASD exhibit low uptake of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening.
• Clinical factors, including language impairment and intellectual disability, are associated with reduced access to these preventive health services.
• There is a critical need to improve access to and uptake of cervical cancer prevention and screening for females with ASD to mitigate their risk of invasive cervical cancer.