Abstract 21: Awareness of HPV and experience with cervical cancer screening in rural Southern Vietnam
Authors: Phung Minh Tung , Le Hong H.T.C. , Nguyen Tuong Vy , Tran Nhat Vy , Vo Lan Y , Thu Thao Nguyen Thi , Dung Phan P.H.T. , Meza Rafael , Dang Tran Ngoc , An Pham Le , Pearce Celeste Leigh 
Published: June 2022

Background: Cervical cancer is the fifth most common female cancer in Vietnam; incidence rates are higher in Southern compared to Northern areas. Several studies have found that most Southern urban women lacked knowledge of Human papillomavirus (HPV) and had never been screened for cervical cancer, however, no studies have been conducted in Southern rural areas. We therefore conducted a cross-sectional study aimed at exploring awareness of HPV and attitudes toward and experience with cervical cancer screening among rural women in Southern Vietnam. We were particularly interested in whether HPV self-sampling was acceptable in this population.

Methods: In October and November 2021, 198 women aged 28-65 living in the rural Can Gio district of Ho Chi Minh City were recruited for the study. Participants were asked to complete an HPV awareness questionnaire in Vietnamese. They then watched four short Vietnamese dubbed and subbed videos demonstrating cervical cancer screening methods (Pap smear, visual inspection with acetic acid application [VIA], HPV sampling by a physician, and HPV self-sampling) before answering questions about their views and experience with each screening method. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate differences in HPV awareness and screening history by age, marital status, religion, education level and household income. Logistic regression models were fit to test for associations between and trends in HPV awareness and screening experience with age, education level and income.

Results: Of the 198 participants, 67 (34%) had ever heard of HPV. Women with higher education levels and higher income were more likely to have heard of HPV (p-trend&lt;0.001 and 0.027, respectively). There was no difference in having heard of HPV by marital status (p=0.99), religion (p=0.20), or age (p-trend=0.51). Less than half of the participants (n=85; 43%) had ever been screened for cervical cancer; the was no association between being screened and age, marital status, religion, education level or income. Among women who had been screened for cervical cancer (n=85), the most common method was Pap smears (n=69; 81%), followed by HPV testing with a sample collected by a physician (n=20; 24%), VIA (n=15; 18%), and HPV self-sampling (n=2; 2%). Some women had been screened with multiple methods. Among all women, 84% reported being willing to have a Pap smear (n=167) whereas only 40% indicated they would be interested in HPV self-sampling (n=79). The most common concerns regarding HPV self-sampling included: self-collecting incorrectly (n=158; 80%), pain (n=106; 54%), and fear of the test revealing that they had cancer (n=91; 46%).

Conclusions: Rural women in Southern Vietnam lacked knowledge of HPV, however 43% had been screened for cervical cancer. Education programs are needed to increase awareness of HPV, and address the concerns regarding HPV self-sampling given its potential to increase screening uptake in low-resource areas.

Citation Format: Minh Tung Phung, Hong H.T.C. Le, Tuong Vy Nguyen, Nhat Vy Tran, Lan Y Vo, Thao Nguyen Thi Thu, Phan P.H.T. Dung, Rafael Meza, Tran Ngoc Dang, Pham Le An, Celeste Leigh Pearce. Awareness of HPV and experience with cervical cancer screening in rural Southern Vietnam [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 21.