C1
A systematic review of peoples views on human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and vaccination
Maggie Hendry, Roopa Adke, Ruth Lewis, Diana Pasterfield, Clare Wilkinson
Cardiff University, UK
Background
The issues surrounding HPV infection and its relationship with cervical cancer are complex. Almost all cervical cancer is related to infection with high-risk HPV types, 70% by types 16 and 18. There is no treatment for HPV infection but cervical cancer prevention is evolving. Vaccination against HPV types 16 & 18 was introduced for girls age 12-13 in late 2008 in the UK, and HPV testing will be rolled out as part of the cervical screening programme. The success of these programmes is dependent on high uptake, which is likely to be influenced by awareness, understanding, views, attitudes and acceptance of these technologies.
Aim
To systematically review studies that explore peoples views, understanding or perceptions of HPV infection in the context of testing for HPV status or HPV vaccination.
Method
We conducted a comprehensive search that included 12 databases, supplemented by hand-searching reference lists of included studies, selected websites, and asking colleagues in the field to identify unpublished studies. We used no language restrictions but where feasible limited our searches to 1980 onwards. Qualitative studies or quantitative surveys were included. Two reviewers independently assessed titles and abstracts for relevance, and retrieved papers for inclusion. To facilitate analysis, we separated qualitative studies from surveys, and vaccination studies from those relating to testing. Data were extracted using predefined forms, piloted and adjusted accordingly. Two reviewers independently assessed study quality using a checklist, and reached consensus by discussion.
Results
We identified 7,232 references; full texts of 106 studies were retrieved. Consensus among three reviewers resulted in inclusion of 70 studies; 24 qualitative and 46 surveys. Analysis was conducted using the framework approach: familiarisation with the data, identifying a thematic framework, indexing, charting, mapping and interpretation. Results, including themes from the qualitative studies relating to both HPV vaccination and HPV testing, will be presented.
