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A survey commissioned by Roche Diagnostics, revealed that the general public largely misunderstands the connection between the human papillomavirus (BPV) infection and cervical cancer. Some 8,700 people from 12 countries across Europe and Latin America took part in the survey. Nearly half of those polled have inadequate understanding of HPV, with nearly one-third being unsure or unaware of it altogether. HPV, a common virus transmitted through sexual contact, is the primary cause of cervical cancer, and is responsible for over 99 per cent of cases.
The survey results from the UK revealed:
- In the UK embarrassment (16 per cent of women – 11 per cent average across Europe) and almost one in five reluctant to undress in front of a stranger (19 per cent of women) had an impact on women’s willingness to be tested
- Women in the UK were the most concerned in Europe around pain during testing (20 per cent of women - 16 per cent average across Europe)
The findings also show that significant barriers to screening continue to exist – such as access to healthcare, social and economic barriers, history of traumatic experience, cultural concerns and embarrassment. The survey did, however, reveal that 70 per cent of respondents indicated they would be interested in the option of collecting their own sample for screening if available.
More than 600,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer yearly worldwide. Over 340,000 women die from the disease, with nine out of 10 of these women living in low-resource countries. HPV awareness is so important, however, as 93 per cent of cervical cancer cases could be prevented entirely through appropriate screening and HPV vaccination. Joanna Sickler, Vice-President and External Affairs at Roche Diagnostics, said: “With many women reporting being open to new screening tools like self-collection, it has never been more important that communities, health systems, governments and innovators come together to seize this opportunity, and provide the early detection and treatment needed to avoid so many preventable deaths.”
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