Lurgain, Jone G;
Peremiquel-Trillas, Paula;
Ouaarab-Essadek, Hakima;
Mellouki, Khadija;
Malik-Hameed, Sumaira;
Sarif, Andleed;
Rangel-Sarmiento, Valentina;
... Gilham, Clare; + view all
(2025)
Moroccan and Pakistani women's knowledge and perceptions on cervical cancer screening and HPV self-sampling acceptability in Catalonia, Spain: a mixed-methods study.
BMC Health Serv Res
, 25
, Article 1502. 10.1186/s12913-025-13488-w.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Disparities in cervical cancer (CC) screening participation persist, with lower rates among immigrant women from low-resource countries compared to native European women. Evidence-based strategies to reach under-screened women are thus needed, such as adopting self-sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. Studies have demonstrated that women are receptive to HPV self-sampling. However, results may not be generalizable to all ethnic groups and settings. This is the first study in Spain assessing HPV self-sampling acceptability among immigrant populations. A mixed-methods study was used to explore knowledge and perceptions of CC screening and attitudes towards HPV self-sampling among Moroccan and Pakistani women in Catalonia. METHODS: Eight focus group discussions and twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted. After a short demonstration of two self-sampling devices, women were invited to try them at home and complete an acceptability survey for each device, including questions assessing screening preferences, perceived self-efficacy, trust in the test results and willingness to use the self-collection method again. RESULTS: Important barriers, such as lack of information about CC screening, and misconceptions about HPV risk were identified. Overall, Moroccan and Pakistani women expressed a preference for clinician-based screening over self-sampling. Over half of the participants (56%) accepted to try at least one self-sampling device. However, concerns about collecting the sample correctly and distrust in the test result were raised. CONCLUSION: Increasing awareness and empowering Moroccan and Pakistani women with culturally appropriate information about the benefits of CC screening is the first step to successfully implement HPV self-sampling. Concerns regarding self-efficacy need also to be addressed before implementing new organised screening programmes using HPV self-sampling in Catalonia, Spain. A peer-based approach using culturally appropriate materials is proposed to best inform, educate, foster confidence, and advocate for the uptake of HPV self-sampling among these two groups of women.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Moroccan and Pakistani women's knowledge and perceptions on cervical cancer screening and HPV self-sampling acceptability in Catalonia, Spain: a mixed-methods study |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12913-025-13488-w |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-13488-w |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Keywords: | Cervical cancer, Human papillomavirus, HPV screening, HPV self-sampling, HPV self-collection, Migrants, Spain |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute for Global Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10218704 |
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