ASPIRE Pilot: Comparing Self-collected HPV Testing With Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid Screening for Cervical Cancer

ASPIRE Pilot: Determining Optimal Cervical Cancer Screening in a Low-resource Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Self-collected HPV Testing With Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid (VIA) Screening in Kampala, Uganda

Cervical cancer remains a public health burden, particularly in developing countries such as sub-saharan Africa where the infrastructure for organized screening programs does not exist. As a result, other screening modalities (visual inspection with acetic acid) are the standard of care in such regions. It is now known, persistent infection with an oncogenic Human papillomavirus (HPV) type is a necessary precursor of cervical cancer and evidence is showing HPV testing is a potential, safe and effective alternative to cytology testing (The Pap smear). This study is evaluating the feasibility and acceptance of HPV self-collection vs. VIA in a cohort of women from Kisenyi, Uganda.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 30-65yrs
• Living or working in community of Kisenyi, Uganda
• Access to mobile telephone
• Fluent in Luganda, Somali or English
• Competent to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known to be pregnant at study entry (self-reported)
• Complete hysterectomy
• Prior diagnosis or treatment of cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer