Confusion about HPV and Cervical Cancer Among Black/African-American Women Living with HIV.

Abstract

Black/African-American women living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at greater risk for developing cervical cancer. However, little is known about their understanding of the human papilloma virus (HPV), cervical cancer, or Pap testing. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to examine HPV and cervical cancer among Black/African-American women living with HIV This is a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional descriptive study aimed at assessing perception about cervical cancer and Pap testing among a convenience sample of 300 women living with HIV For this analysis, data from 211 Black/African-American female participants were extracted. The mean HPV and cervical cancer knowledge score was 6.12 out of a possible 15. Of the 211 participants, 6 answered all questions incorrectly. Less than half of the participants were aware that HPV is associated with cervical cancer, is classified as a sexually transmitted infedtion, or causes genital warts. The knowledge gained from this research can assist nurses and other health-care providers with the development of educational interventions that improve African-American women's knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer, and Pap testing.