Improving Vulvar Self-examination Performance in a Population at Increased Risk of Vulvar Cancer

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Preventive Medicine
• Patient Education

Background:

• Vulvar cancer risk is elevated in certain populations.
• Familiarity with vulvar self-examination (VSE) is often low.
• Effective strategies to promote VSE are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if a VSE teaching session and optional reminders enhance VSE performance frequency.
• To evaluate VSE uptake in individuals at increased risk for vulvar cancer.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment from Colposcopy and Vulvar Dermatology clinics.
• Participants received VSE instruction and an information booklet.
• Optional phone or electronic health record reminders were offered over 6 weeks.

Main Results:

• 83% of participants performed VSE at 6-week follow-up, a significant increase from 16% baseline (p < .001).
• Pre-study VSE awareness was low (13%).
• Improved self-reported ability to identify anatomical landmarks was noted post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• A brief VSE teaching session, with or without reminders, effectively increases VSE performance.
• This intervention shows promise for improving VSE adherence in at-risk populations.
• Simple educational interventions can overcome low baseline awareness for VSE.