Factors Influencing Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake Among HIV/AIDS Patients In Nandi County, Kenya

Abstract

AIDS and cervical cancer are both diseases that affect the tissues of the cervix.. Women with HIV/AIDS are at a higher risk of persistent Human Papilloma Virus infection, which ends up in a multiplied threat of growing premalignant lesion of the cervix. If cervical cancer is identified through screening early, it is treatable. Therefore, factors affecting the use of cervical cancer screening in HIV/AIDS sufferers in Nandi County being evaluated in this study. The study used a mixed-methods descriptive study design, with findings computed for quantitative variables. The target population were 670 HIV/AIDS patients. This was the estimated number of female HIV/AIDS positive patients that visited the Nandi County Referral Hospital's comprehensive treatment center from July to October 2020. A sample size of 190 based on Fisher et al formula, and a purposeful and systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit the participants. Utilizing both open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires, primary data was gathered. The data was entered and coded using Microsoft Excel 2016, and SPSS was utilized to examine it (version 25.0). Frequencies, percentages, and means were created with the aid of descriptive statistics. The association between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and the adoption of cervical cancer screening was examined using the Chi-Square test of independence. Tables, bar graphs, and pie charts were utilized to display the findings. The average age of the respondents was 33.8 years. 77.3 percent of women had learned of cervical cancer, and 47.3 percent had learned about it from the media. the proportion of responders who were aware of early cervical screening initiatives and were associated with any screening procedures was 83.2% and 62%, respectively. 51.1% of participants said they had been screened, and 57.1% listed the Pap smear test as a screening tool. Since p0.05, the chi-square test's findings were significant. (2 (4, N=190) = 1.930, p=.003). In addition, 69.9% of respondents stated that they avoided screening because they were afraid they might already have cervix cancer. Further, awareness on cervical cancer screening was high with mass media being a leading platform; however, uptake of check-up was low. This indicates that awareness did not translate to screening uptake. Therefore, the study recommends increase of health sensitization on importance of screening.