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Acceptability of HPV self-testing among young adult lesbian and bisexual women in the United States
PURPOSE: We sought to examine the acceptability of HPV self-testing, an emerging cervical cancer screening strategy, among lesbian and bisexual women.
METHODS: We conducted an online survey with a national sample of lesbian and bisexual women ages 21-26 during Fall 2013 (n=418). Most respondents self-identified as bisexual (73%) and were non-Hispanic white (69%). We used multivariable logistic regression to identify correlates of women’s willingness to use a self-test for HPV at home.
RESULTS: About half of women (51%) were willing to use an HPV self-test at home. Willingness was higher among women who were: older (OR=1.17); knew more about HPV (OR=2.82); or who perceived a greater likelihood of acquiring an HPV-related disease (OR=1.56) (all p<.05). Women who had not had a Pap test in the last 3 years were more willing to use an HPV self-test (OR=2.75) compared to those who had a Pap test within the past year. The most common concerns about HPV self-testing were: not doing the test correctly (70%), the accuracy of the self-test (64%), and returning the test by mail (23%).
CONCLUSION: Many lesbian and bisexual women, particularly those who have not had a recent Pap test, were willing to use an HPV self-test at home. Our findings highlight beliefs and concerns that should be addressed in interventions exploring HPV self-testing among this population.
Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programsSocial and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the acceptability of HPV self-testing at home among young adult lesbian and bisexual women in the United States
Identify correlates of women’s willingness to use a self-test for HPV at home
Describe concerns about using a self-test for HPV at home among young adult lesbian and bisexual women
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I hold a DrPH in Maternal and Child Health and am currently an assistant professor of health behavior and health promotion. I have conducted research on adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health, with a focus on sexual health services, STI prevention and HPV vaccination, for the past 7 years, resulting in over 25 publications on these topics.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.