Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Living With HIV in Suriname

Background Suriname has an estimated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence of 1.6% among adults aged 15 to 49 years. Women living with HIV (WLWH) have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer or dysplasia. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines advise cervical screening once every three years, starting at age 25, when using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). Objective The primary objective of this study was to determine how often WLWH in Suriname undergo cervical screening. The secondary objective was to explore factors associated with cervical screening participation. Methodology In this single-center study, data were collected from all WLWH visiting the HIV outpatient clinic of the Academic Hospital Paramaribo during six weeks in 2023. The last cervical screening date was registered. To explore factors associated with the cervical screening rate, these women were asked to fill out a questionnaire. Results During the study period, 195 WLWH visited the outpatient department. Of these, 134 (68.7%) had ever gone for cervical screening, and 77 (39.5%) had gone for cervical screening in the past three years. A total of 134 WLWH participated in the questionnaire. Of those women, 99 (73.9%) were not aware of the higher risk of cervical cancer in WLWH. Conclusions Although a majority of WLWH had done cervical screening at least once in their lives, less than 40% were screened in the last three years in accordance with WHO guidelines. Strategies to increase the number of women going for cervical cancer screening should be explored in the coming years.