Christine Campbell

Experiences of cervical screening participation and non‐participation in women from minority ethnic populations in Scotland

AbstractBackgroundThe introduction of screening in the UK and other high‐income countries led to a significant decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer and increase in survival rates. Minority ethnic groups are often underrepresented in screening participation for reasons that are poorly understood.ObjectiveTo explore experiences of cervical screening participation and non‐participation of women from minority ethnic populations in Scotland and gain insights to support the development of interventions that could potentially support screening participation and thereby reduce inequalities.DesignQualitative comparison group study using in‐depth, semi‐structured individual interviews that were thematically analysed.Setting and participantsThis study took place in Scotland. Fifty women were purposively sampled from four ethnic minority groups: South Asian; East European; Chinese; and Black African or Caribbean. White Scottish women were also interviewed.ResultsMany experiences described were common regardless of ethnicity, such as difficulties managing competing priorities, including work and care responsibilities. However, important differences existed across the groups. These included going abroad for more frequent screening, delayed introduction to screening and not accessing primary care services, language difficulties in health‐care settings despite proficiency in English and not being sexually active at screening commencement. Experiences of racism, ignorance and feeling shamed were also reported.ConclusionsKey differences exist in the experience of minority ethnic groups in Scotland. These offer potential opportunities to reduce disparity and support screening participation including maximizing co‐incidental interactions and developing outreach work.

Cervical high-risk human papillomavirus infection and its associated risk factors: a community-based cross-sectional study in hard-to-reach areas in Bangladesh

Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cervical high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) in a community-based setting and its risk factors association in women living in hard-to-reach areas in Bangladesh. Design A cross-sectional study Setting The study was carried out in six subdistricts, located in hard-to-reach and climate-impacted regions of Bangladesh. Participants A total of 8000 married women aged 30–60 years were invited for screening. Women who were unable to give consent, were pregnant or had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix, previous screening less than 5 years, or treatment of the cervix or had symptoms of potential cervical cancer were excluded. Interventions A community-based hrHPV self-collected screening for cervical cancer was conducted from June 2022 to July 2023. Main outcome measures Prevalence of cervical hrHPV and risk factor association. Results 11 127 women were eligible for screening; 7850 women submitted hrHPV self-swabs, 7828 valid HPV test results were reported and 164 women (2.1%) tested hrHPV positive. Women living in the North were 2.1 times more likely to be hrHPV positive compared with women living in the South (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.1, 95% CI: 1.5 to 3.8, p=0.023) and widowed women were 3.0 times more likely to be hrHPV positive than married women (AOR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.7 to 5.3, p=0.001). Another risk factor associated with testing hrHPV positive was the use of hormonal contraceptives for 5 years and above (AOR=7.0, 95% CI: 2.0 to 24.4, p=0.002). Conclusion The study identified a low overall prevalence of hrHPV infection (2.1%) among women in hard-to-reach areas in Bangladesh, with some regional variations. Higher prevalence was observed in widowed compared with married women and among women reporting more than 5 years of hormonal contraceptive use. This study shows no evidence of particularly high-risk groups in hard-to-reach areas in Bangladesh. The findings support the feasibility of implementing a nationwide hr-HPV-based self-sampling strategy as a viable approach to reach WHO targets for reducing the burden of cervical cancer. Recommendation for policymakers to support future research to identify hrHPV prevalence among women in comparable groups in other geographically remote areas in Bangladesh. Trial registration number NCT05234112 .