Results of a community-based cervical cancer screening pilot project using human papillomavirus self-sampling in Kampala, Uganda

ObjectiveTo examine the feasibility of a community-based screening program using human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling in a low-income country with a high burden of cervical cancer.MethodsA pilot study was conducted among 205 women aged 30–69 years in the Kisenyi district of Kampala, Uganda, from September 5 to October 30, 2011. Women were invited to provide a self-collected specimen for high-risk oncogenic HPV testing by outreach workers at their homes and places of gathering in their community. Specimens were tested for HPV, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Women who tested positive for HPV were referred for colposcopy, biopsy, and treatment at a regional hospital.ResultsOf the 199 women who provided a specimen, 35 (17.6%) tested positive for HPV. The outreach workers were able to provide results to 30 women (85.7%). In all, 26 (74.3%) of the women infected with HPV attended their colposcopy appointments and 4 (11.4%) women were diagnosed with grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.ConclusionSelf-collection of samples for community-based HPV testing was an acceptable option; most women who tested positive attended for definitive treatment. Self-sampling could potentially allow for effective recruitment to screening programs in limited-resource settings.