Objective: To evaluate the acceptability of self-collected vaginal samples for HPV testing in women living in rural and urban areas of Madagascar.
Materials and methods: Participants were recruited in a health care center (urban group) and smaller affiliated dispensaries (rural group). They were invited to perform unsupervised self-sampling for HPV testing and to answer a questionnaire on socio-demographic information, cervical cancer knowledge and self-sampling acceptability.
Results: A total of 300 women were recruited. Median age was 44.1 years (range 29-65 years) in the urban group and 40.9 years (range 29-65 years) in the rural group. Urban women had improved knowledge on HPV, cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening (p<0.05) as compared to rural women. Urban women lived closer to a health care center (P<0.05), had fewer different sexual partners (P<0.05) and later first sexual intercourse (p=0.07). Unlike urban women, most rural women were married (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Acceptability of self-sampling for HPV testing was similarly excellent in both groups despite their difference in terms of socio-demographic factors and knowledge about cervical cancer.
Keywords: Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia; HPV DNA Tests; Madagascar.