Cervical screening in Tshwane, South Africa : women's knowledge of cervical cancer, acceptance of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and practical lessons learnt

Abstract

Cervical cancer is a global health problem and the most common cancer in women living in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Various barriers to cervical screening have been identified. These include cytology based screening. Cervical screening by means of visual inspection with 3% to 5% acetic acid (VIA) can be implemented in a wide range of settings as no laboratory processing is required. This study was a pilot study to determine the knowledge of women, employed by one institution in Tshwane, regarding cervical cancer, whether VIA screening would be acceptable, what the results of such screening would be as well as the practical lessons that could be learnt to improve the screening process. The research study was an exploratory, descriptive and contextual survey. The sampling method was convenient (n=31). Data were gathered by means of self-reports using structured interviews. The results of the screening were documented on a clinical record. The study provides evidence that VIA screening was acceptable to women. However the knowledge of women, despite having a higher level of education, was low. Although one of the participants was VIA positive, none was VIA positive / invasive cancer. Lessons learnt included that the number of women that could be screened in a given time should not be overestimated and that clinical breast examinations should be offered concurrently with cervical screening campaigns