Faculty Collaboration Database

Acceptability of Anal Human Papillomavirus Home Self-Sampling and Clinician Sampling Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The Prevent Anal Cancer Self-Swab Study. LGBT Health 2024 Jan;11(1):47-56

Date

10/23/2023

Pubmed ID

37870947

DOI

10.1089/lgbt.2023.0012

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85176378709 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)

Abstract

Purpose: Anal cancer has disproportionately high incidence among sexual minority men. We compared acceptability of home versus clinic human papillomavirus (HPV) anal swabbing. Methods: The Prevent Anal Cancer Self-Swab Study recruited sexual and gender minority individuals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eligible participants were randomized to a home or clinic arm. Home participants received a mailed anal HPV self-sampling kit. Clinic participants attended a clinic appointment where a clinician collected an anal HPV swab. We examined acceptability (overall thoughts, comfort with method, pain, and future willingness to swab) of home versus clinic swabbing using postswab survey responses. Results: A total of 191 individuals completed swabbing and a postswab survey (home = 53.4%, clinic = 46.6%). Mean age was 47 years (range = 25-78). Reported overall thoughts about home (71.6%) and clinic (69.7%) swabbing were mostly positive (p = 0.83). Overall thoughts about the home kit did not differ by participant characteristics, but overall thoughts about clinician swabbing differed by race (p = 0.04) and HIV status (p = 0.002). Nearly all participants (98.4%) reported they were comfortable receiving the kit or getting the swabbing in the clinic, reported little or no pain (98.4%), and reported willingness to undergo swabbing in the future (97.9%). After swabbing, clinic participants reported greater trust that swabbing can give accurate information about anal cancer risk (89.9%) than home participants (69.6%) (p < 0.001), and that swabbing will help them avoid anal cancer (clinic = 79.8%, home = 59.8%) (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Anal swabbing acceptability was high and did not differ between home and clinic. Participants reported high confidence and knowledge using the mailed anal self-sampling kit. Clinical Trial Registration number is NCT03489707.

Author List

Nitkowski J, Giuliano AR, Ridolfi T, Chiao E, Fernandez ME, Schick V, Swartz MD, Smith JS, Nyitray AG

Authors

Alan Nyitray PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Timothy J. Ridolfi MD, MS, FACS Associate Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Anus Neoplasms
Early Detection of Cancer
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Papillomaviridae
Papillomavirus Infections
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Wisconsin