Abstract:
Background: Worldwide an estimated 5% of all cervical cancer causes are attributable to HIV; women living with HIV have a six-fold increased risk of cervical cancer when compared to women without HIV. Globally an estimated 1.6 billion (67%) of 2.3 billion women aged 20-70 years had never been screened for cervical cancer. In sub Sharan Africa only 14% of women aged 30 to 49 years had ever been screened for cervical cancer in 2020. Previous studies conducted in many parts of Ethiopia focuses on cervical cancer screening among women age group of 25-49 year (the studies were not specific for HIV positive women) that are at higher risk. This study will help women to get screened, and averts deaths and much economical loss due to cervical cancer.
Objective: To assess the Magnitude of cervical cancer screening service utilization and associated factors among HIV positive women receiving care at ART clinic of public health facilities in Gurage zone, central Ethiopia region from January 1, 2024 to March 30 , 2024.
Methods: Facility based cross sectional study design was conducted from January 1, 2024 to March 30, 2024 among 386 randomly selected HIV positive women who were on follow up at ART clinic. Simple random sampling technique was used. Data were collected by using structured interviewer administered questioner and collected by trained health professionals by using structured interview administered questioner and entered in to EPI-INFO version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was done to identify candidate variables with a cut-off of 0.25 p- values. To determine factors associated with cervical cancer screening service utilization adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% CIs at P-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistically significant variables in the final model and the result is presented by using texts, tables and figures.
Results: A total of 386 study participants participated yielding 95% response rate. The magnitude of cervical cancer screening service utilization among HIV positive women receiving care at ART clinic was 38.6% (95% CI: 34.1-43.6). Age between 25 -45 (AOR = 5.37; 95%CI: 1.50, 12.19), live in urban area (AOR = 3.01; 95%CI: 1.70, 5.60), completed college and university (AOR = 3.79; 95%CI: 1.2, 11.60), get health related information from health workers (AOR = 5.07; 95%CI: 2.27, 3.95). Moreover those who have good knowledge about cervical cancer screening (AOR = 2.22; 95%CI: 1.24, 3.95) good attitude about cervical cancer screening (AOR = 6.92; 95%CI: 3.08, 12.59) were significantly associated with cervical cancer screening.
Conclusion and recommendation: The level of utilization of cervical cancer screening services utilization among HIV-positive women was low. Educated, living in urban area, have good knowledge, a positive attitude towards screening and received cervical cancer screening information from health workers, were significant factors associated with cervical cancer screening. Implementation of structured interventions aimed at improving cervical cancer screening awareness among HIV-positive women is crucial
