Prevalence of and factors associated with cervical precancerous lesions among women aged 25-65 years attending Uganda Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer community programs

Abstract

Cervical cancer is a significant global issue, with 604,000 new cases in 2022. Women with HIV face a sixfold higher risk. In Uganda, despite efforts like HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening, around 7,000 cases of cervical cancer occur annually among women aged 15 to 44, causing about 5,000 deaths. The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) prioritizes prevention through early detection and treatment but lacks detailed data on the prevalence and risk factors of cervical precancerous lesions (CPL) across regions. Study objective: To determine prevalence and factors associated with CPL among women aged 25-65 years attending UCI- Comprehensive Cancer Community Programs (CCCP) in selected outreach sites. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 439 women aged 25-65 years who attended cervical cancer screening at UCI-CCCP outreach sites. Participants were systematically chosen if they met inclusion criteria. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and medical records. Data was analyzed using STATA 14.0. Continuous variables were summarized as means with standard deviations (SD) or median with interquartile ranges (IQR), categorical variables as proportions. Prevalence was expressed as percentages with 95% confidence intervals, and associated factors as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Significance was set at p. value strategies that can expand cervical cancer screening programs to increase access, especially targeting unmarried women which would increase on number of women screened early and treated for CPL. Health workers should incorporate CPL checks into routine services, such as birth control and pregnancy care visits. Policy makers should recognize marital status as a risk factor for CPL in resource allocation. Researchers should expand studies to further explore risk factor for CPL