Roles of self-sampling for human papillomavirus in developing countries

Abstract

© 2020 JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND. Objective: To evaluate whether or not self-sampling for human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in developing countries is acceptable and sensitive. Materials and Methods: A sub-group analysis of a previous review published by Madzima et al. The primary outcome of the present study was either acceptability or sensitivity of HPV self-sampling compared with the Pap test. Results: There were 43 relevant studies, four of which were conducted in developing countries. Three studies assessed the acceptability of the self-sampling method and one evaluated its sensitivity. There were 21,965 eligible participants. The acceptability rate of self-sampling was 82 to 98%, and its sensitivity was 4.2 times better than cytology in cases of invasive cervical cancer. Conclusion: Self-sampling for HPV is highly acceptable and may be more sensitive than cervical cytology in developing countries.