Impact of STIs on cervical cancer screening: Prevalence of

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer, primarily from HPV, is prevalent in countries like Mozambique, with HIV individuals at higher risk. The Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) screening method can be influenced by STIs like

METHODS

In this cross-sectional research conducted at a DREAM program facility in Maputo from 01/07/2021 to 31/05/2022, cervical specimens were taken from VIA-positive patients. CT/NG testing was performed using the Cobas® 4800 DNA CT/NG test. Statistical analyses focused on associations and prevalence rates, considering demographic, clinical, and exposure data.

RESULTS

Among 117 women, we observed a CT prevalence of 6.8% (8/117) and an NG prevalence of 2.6%(3/117). No significant associations between CT/NG infection rates and factors such as age, HIV status, VIA results, or high-risk HPV (hrHPV) was observed. We found a 47% prevalence of hrHPV infections among participants with cervical lesions; no significant association between hrHPV and CT/NG infections was observed.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the prevalence of CT and NG in VIA-positive women in Mozambique, emphasizing the STI burden and suggesting integration of STI screening in cervical cancer prevention strategies.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.