Human papillomavirus self-sampling for cervical cancer screening among women in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionEvidence shows that women in sub-Saharan Africa have high rates of cervical cancer (CC) mortality compared with women in high-income countries. Effective screening programmes have significantly reduced the burden of CC in high-income countries. Self-sampling for human papillomavirus testing (HPVSS) has been reported to increase the participation and engagement of women in CC screening. Before HPVSS can be introduced for CC screening there is a need to establish its acceptability among end-users to ensure the increase in CC screening rates. Here, we outline a protocol for a scoping review aimed at mapping literature on the use and acceptability of HPVSS for screening CC in sub-Saharan Africa to reveal gaps to guide future research and practice.MethodThe scoping review protocol was developed according to Arksey and O’Malley and Levac et al, and guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. We will search Scopus, PubMed, Medline Ovid, Cochrane and Web of Science databases for evidence on the use and acceptability of HPVSS published between January 2011 and July 2021. We will also search grey literature in the form of dissertations/theses, conference proceedings, websites of international organisations such as the WHO, and relevant government reports reporting evidence on HPVSS programmes for screening CC among women in sub-Saharan Africa.Ethics and disseminationNo ethical approval is needed for the study as it will not include animals or human participants. The results of the proposed scoping review will be disseminated electronically in peer-reviewed journals, in print and through conference presentations.

Mapping evidence on the acceptability of human papillomavirus self-sampling for cervical cancer screening among women in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

“…A systematic scoping review protocol was published in BMJ Open journal under the title: Human papillomavirus self-sampling for cervical cancer screening among women in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol. 12 This scoping review was conducted according to the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley 13 and Levac et al . 14 According to Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, a scoping review follows five stages: (1) identify the research question; (2) identify relevant studies; (3) select eligible studies; (4) charting the data; (5) collating, summarising and reporting the results.…”

“…The published methodology was made available on 19 September 2021, and it can be accessed online (https://osf.io/ba8fc. A systematic scoping review protocol was published in BMJ Open journal under the title: Human papillomavirus self-sampling for cervical cancer screening among women in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol 12. This scoping review was conducted according to the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley13 and Levac et al 14.…”

Experiences and perspectives regarding human papillomavirus self-sampling in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of qualitative evidence

“…This systematic review builds on the findings of a scoping review conducted to establish the acceptability of HPV self-sampling for screening cervical cancer in SSA. The scoping review was published elsewhere [ 15 ]. A systematic search to identify literature on the acceptability of self-sampling for HPV testing was undertaken across 5 major electronic databases and a grey literature search.…”

“…A systematic search to identify literature on the acceptability of self-sampling for HPV testing was undertaken across 5 major electronic databases and a grey literature search. This systematic review followed the same search strategy [ 15 ] and considered qualitative and mixed methods studies that showed evidence of the experiences and perspectives of women, health workers and policymakers regarding self-sampling for HPV-based cervical cancer screening. Studies were included if they employed qualitative research designs such as focus groups, in-depth interviews and semi-structured interviews.…”