Prevalence of Premalignant Cervical Lesions and Factors influencing Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening Services among HIV Positive Women attending the HIV Clinic at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Bushenyi, Uganda
| dc.contributor.author | Bekson Tayebwa | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-08-27T07:41:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-08-27T07:41:53Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-01 | |
| dc.description | A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Kampala International University | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: Cervical cancer remains the leading gynecological malignancy causing deaths and morbidity in Africa. Nine in every 10 worldwide cervical cancer deaths occur in developing countries especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in females in Uganda. This study determined the uptake rate of cervical cancer screening services, Prevalence of premalignant cervical lesions, and factors influencing uptake of cervical cancer screening services among HIV positive women attending Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (KIU-TH) HIV/AIDS Clinic. Methods: This was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital HIV/AIDS Clinic. Consecutive sampling method was used to recruit 210 women aged 21-65 years. Pretested interviewer administered questionnaires were used to collect data, then entered into Microsoft Excel version 10 and imported into Stata 14 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of study participants, their clinical characteristics, uptake rate of cervical cancer screening services and prevalence of premalignant cervical lesions. Pearson Chi-square test followed by logistic regression analysis were conducted to assess the relationship between socio-demographic and health system related factors and uptake of cervical cancer screening services stratified by location of residence. All independent variables with p-values ≤0.05 and those with biological plausibility were entered into a multivariate model. Results: Of the 210 HIV positive women recruited, the uptake rate of cervical cancer screening services was 160(76.2%). Out of the 160 women who participated in cervical cancer screening, 35(21.9%) had premalignant cervical lesions. Women with primary education (aOR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.71-0.96, p = 0.02) and secondary education (aOR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.61-0.91, p = 0.01) showed a lower statistical likelihood of uptake of cervical cancer screening services. Women who came far from the nearest health centre and had to use a vehicle also showed a lower statistical likelihood of uptake (aOR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.26-0.89, p = 0.02). Fear of being diagnosed with cervical cancer led to a lower likelihood of uptake (aOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.29-0.67, p = 0.01). Preference of the health workers’ female gender [overall (aOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.59-0.5.34, p = 0.01) and either gender (aOR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.52-4.92, p = 0.01) were associated with a higher likelihood of uptake of cervical cancer screening services. Conclusions: The study shows a moderately higher uptake of cervical cancer screening and low prevalence of premalignant cervical lesions among women attending HIV clinic at KIU-TH. Formal education, fear of being diagnosed with cervical cancer and far distance from the nearest health centre reduced uptake of cervical cancer screening services while preference of female or either gender of the health worker led to increased uptake of cervical cancer screening services. This study recommends routine cervical cancer screening at the HIV clinic, recruitment of more female health workers at cervical cancer screening clinics, health talks in the formal education sector and health education focusing on alleviating fear of being diagnosed with cervical cancer. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/14949 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kampala International University | |
| dc.title | Prevalence of Premalignant Cervical Lesions and Factors influencing Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening Services among HIV Positive Women attending the HIV Clinic at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Bushenyi, Uganda | |
| dc.type | Thesis |