Cervical cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that starts in the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It is one of the most life-threatening diseases that affects Women Living with HIV(WLHIV). According to the fact sheet Malawi 2023 report, the estimates indicated that every year 4145 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 2905 die from the disease. Cervical cancer is six to eight times common in WLHIV. Regular cervical cancer screening helps to detect the cancer early for effective treatment.
Main Objective: An observation was made that WLHIV are hesitant to undergo cervical cancer screening in Malawi despite the services being available. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of HIV positive women towards cervical cancer screening services.
Specific objective: (1) Identifying the proportion of eligible HIV positive women accessing cervical cancer screening services, (2) assessing the willingness of HIV positive women to seek cervical cancer services voluntarily (3) analyzing the perceptions of HIV positive women towards annual cervical cancer screening.
Methodology: In a mixed methods study conducted at Lighthouse, Kamuzu Central Hospital, a sample size of 99 participants was identified using simple random sampling methods. A questionnaire created using kobo-toolbox software was used to collect data and written consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.
Findings: Results showed that 93% of the respondents had ever accessed cervical screening at Lighthouse (Figure 2), Despite having 93% of WLHIV getting screened, only 52 women out of 99 reported that they have ever gone for screening on their own willingly (Figure 4). 69 respondents (70% of participants) portrayed to have several perceptions towards cervical cancer screening. In Figure 5 the listed perceptions ranked differently according to how the respondents described them. Painful ranked higher with 59% mentions, seconded by embarrassing 34%, scary 31%, degrading 25% and uncomfortable 20%.
Conclusion: In conclusion, there good coverage of cervical cancer screening which is largely associated with successful strategies put in place at the facility to ensure that every eligible woman is screened but the lack of willingness to and negative perceptions towards screening highlighted by WLHIV portrays health promotion gap that needs attention.
Table of Contents
1. Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Chapter Introduction
1.2 Background of the Study
1.3 Problem Statement
1.4 Objectives of the Study
Main Objective
Specific Objectives
1.5 Research Questions/ Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Limitations of the Study
1.9 Chapter Summary
2. Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 Chapter Introduction
2.2 Literature Review
2.3 Theoretical Framework (Minimum of 1 theory or model)
2.4 Conceptual Framework
2.5 Chapter Summary
3. Chapter 3 Methodology
3.1 Chapter Introduction
3.2 Research Approach
3.3 Research Design
3.4 Study Area
3.5 Sampling Design
3.5.1 Study Population
3.5.2 Sampling Technique(s)
3.5.3 Sample Size
3.6 Data Collection Method/ Instrument
3.7 Data Analysis Technique
3.8 Validity and Reliability
3.9 Ethical Consideration
3.10 Chapter Summary
4. Chapter 4: Results
5. Chapter 5: Discussion
6. Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations
6.1 Conclusions
6.2 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This study aims to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of HIV-positive women regarding cervical cancer screening services at Lighthouse-Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, to identify barriers to voluntary uptake. Despite the availability of services, many women remain hesitant, and the research seeks to address this gap to improve health outcomes and program sustainability.
- Proportion of eligible women accessing screening services.
- Willingness of HIV-positive women to seek services voluntarily.
- Perceptions and barriers related to annual cervical cancer screening.
- Integration of Health Belief Model to explain health-seeking behaviors.
- Evaluation of current facility strategies for service promotion.
Excerpt from the Book
1.2 Background of the Study
Cervical cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that starts in the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina (Butler K. , 2023). Cervical cancer remains one of the life-threatening diseases in HIV positive women. This is because HIV positive women are six times more likely to get cervical cancer than HIV negative women due to the immune suppression by the HIV hence a need for yearly screening for early detection and treatment. In fact, HIV is responsible for around 5% of all cervical cancer cases worldwide (Sreenivas, 2022).
Although cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable malignant diseases, it is the fourth most commonly detected cancer in women worldwide, with more than half a million new cases and 311 365 deaths in 2018 (Stelzle, et al., 2020). On average, one woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes (UNAIDS, n.d).
According to World Health Organisation, eighty-five percent of women with cervical cancer and HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the major contribution of HIV to the cervical cancer burden in the region (WHO, 2020). This means that the sub-Saharan Africa cervical cancer cases in HIV positive women exceeds the world’s average estimation of cervical cancer burden. This high prevalence of cervical cancer can directly be attributed to the high prevalence rate of HIV in adolescent girls and women in the region as per (Kaveri, 2023), in 2022 alone, women and girls accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1 Introduction: Outlines the background of the study, the problem statement regarding hesitancy in cervical cancer screening, and the research objectives.
Chapter 2 Literature Review: Examines existing studies on factors influencing cervical cancer screening uptake and provides a theoretical foundation using the Health Belief Model.
Chapter 3 Methodology: Details the mixed-methods research approach, descriptive and exploratory design, and the use of simple random sampling at the Lighthouse ART Clinic.
Chapter 4: Results: Presents data collected from 99 participants, focusing on screening coverage, voluntary participation, and identified patient perceptions.
Chapter 5: Discussion: Interprets the findings by comparing current screening coverage with the reported hesitancy and negative perceptions among respondents.
Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations: Summarizes the key findings and provides strategic suggestions to improve future screening uptake and communication.
Keywords
HIV, Cervical Cancer, Screening, Health Belief Model, Women Living with HIV, Lighthouse Trust, Lilongwe, Public Health, Healthcare Access, Voluntary Screening, Patient Perceptions, Early Detection, Reproductive Health, Malawi, Barrier Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The research focuses on investigating the knowledge and attitudes of HIV-positive women towards cervical cancer screening services at the Lighthouse-Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi.
What are the central themes discussed in this study?
The study covers cervical cancer risk in HIV-positive populations, barriers to screening, the role of health education, and the influence of patient perceptions on service uptake.
What is the main goal of the research?
The goal is to understand why there is hesitancy among HIV-positive women to undergo screening despite service availability, in order to recommend interventions for better health outcomes.
Which methodology was employed for data collection?
A mixed-methods approach was used, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data collected via questionnaires and interviews with 99 participants.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It includes a detailed literature review, a methodological framework, an analysis of field results, and a discussion on how perceptions affect screening behavior.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include HIV, cervical cancer, screening, Health Belief Model, patient perceptions, and public health.
What is the significance of the Health Belief Model in this study?
The model provides a psychological framework to explain why individuals engage or fail to engage in health-promoting behaviors, such as cervical cancer screening.
What was the most significant perception reported by the participants?
The study found that the perception of the screening process being "painful" was ranked the highest (59%) among the negative experiences mentioned by respondents.
- Citar trabajo
- Collins Mtumodzi (Autor), 2026, Investigating the Attitudes and Knowledge of HIV-Positive Women Towards Cervical Cancer Screening Services in Malawi, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1696304
