Introduction: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Thai women. Human immunodeficiency virus; HIV-infected women have a high risk for cervical cancer.
Objective: To study the uptake rate and perception of cervical cancer screening among HIV-infected women who visited as out patients at the Infectious Disease, Medicine Clinic, Songklanagarind Hospital.
Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between July to December 2009. Standardised questionnaires were used to collect demographic data, sexual behavior, perception of cervical screening and Papanicolaou smear screening results from the HIV-infected women who visited as out patients at the Infectious Disease, Medicine Clinic, Songklanagarind Hospital.
Results: Three hundred and twelve of HIV-infected women were enrolled in this study. The mean ages was 24-60 years old. A total of 261 subjects had the Pap smear results but only 137 subjects which had Pap smear results in Songklanagarind Hospital while as the other subjects had the Pap smear result from the other hospitals. For this study, we analized only 137 subjects which as valid for interpretation. The results showed 46 (33.6%) normal and 59 (43%) had inflammation, 29 (21.2%) had the transformation of cervical epithelial cells with atypical squamous cell undetermined significance (ASC-US) low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), 3 (2.2%) were cervical cancer. The perception, we found that 66.3% of the subjects recognized that the HIV infection was a consequence to cervical cancer and 83% had uptake cervical cancer screening.
Conclusion: The uptake rate of cervical cancer screening is high among HIV-infected women who visited as out patients at the Infection Disease, Medicine Clinic, Songklanagarind Hospital. For the perception, the subjects knew that HIV infection was the risk factor for cervical cancer, and the uptake of cervical cancer screening is need. However, the doctors and nurses should play role in encouraging HIV-infected women for cervical cancer screening.