Primary Human Papillomavirus Screening: Women’s Perceptions of New Cervical Cancer Screening Recommendations

Abstract

Background:

Current clinical guidelines recommended primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening for cervical cancer testing. Previous studies reported patient-level barriers (e.g., limited knowledge and attachment to Pap test) that may hinder wide adoption of primary HPV screening. We assessed these women-level factors following the implementation of primary HPV screening (July 2020) at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC).

Methods:

We administered a patient survey (mail and on-line) to female KPSC members aged 30–65 years who received primary HPV screening between October and December 2020. Those who preferred English vs. Spanish language were sampled separately. The survey included domains on knowledge about HPV and HPV screening, awareness of screening guidelines, and attitudes about HPV testing. Demographic data were collected using electronic health records. We used weighted multivariable logistic and modified Poisson regressions for associations between language preference and survey responses.

Results:

In total, 3,009 surveys were returned (38.0% response rate). Few women (7.0%) found HPV testing as an acceptable screening method. The majority of women (92.2%) remained unaware that HPV testing can replace Pap test for screening. The Pap test was the most preferred screening approach for 33.2% Spanish-speaking women vs. 19.9% English-speaking women. Only 20.6% knew that women aged 30–65 years can be screened every 5 years with cotest or primary HPV screening. Most women (96.4%) did not perceive stigma about taking the HPV test.

Conclusion:

Proactive patient education will help improve women’s knowledge about primary HPV screening, which may facilitate its implementation in additional health care settings.