Feasibility and Acceptability of HPV Self-Collection Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment in Botswana

Aims of the Study: To assess feasibility and acceptability of introducing HPV testing of self-collected vaginal specimens (self-collection for HPV) of women age 30-49 years, followed by visual assessment of the cervix for treatment (VAT) and treatment of women testing HPV positive at a district hospital, surrounding clinics and communities in Botswana. Background and Rationale: High HIV prevalence correlates with high rates of precancerous and cancerous changes on the cervix, and Botswana has the third highest HIV prevalence rate (22.2%) in the world. In Botswana, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths among women. While the Government of Botswana has made cervical cancer a public health priority, and has provided cytology-based screening (Pap smears) for the past 20 years and in recent years began also offering VIA coupled with immediate cryotherapy for eligible precancerous lesions in a screen-and-treat (S\&T) approach, the program still encounters multiple challenges. These include delays in reporting/receiving cytology results, referral bottlenecks for specialist care, and ultimately far fewer women being screened and treated than set targets. In response, in 2012 Botswana's Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) developed a National Cervical Cancer Prevention Programme (NCCPP) Comprehensive Prevention and Control Strategy that includes implementing a demonstration project to gauge acceptability and obtain lessons that will be used in planning the roll-out of this screening method. As a result, the MoHW is exploring human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as a primary screening method with the future service delivery in mind through HPV testing, specifically using self-collected samples, as a primary screening method. HPV testing is more sensitive and reliable for the detection of cervical precancer and cancer than Pap testing and VIA. This increased sensitivity translates into two important benefits: 1) earlier detection of signi