Objective: In 2017, Australian's National Cervical Screening Program changed from 2-yearly cytology to 5-yearly primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. The Stakeholder Opinions of Renewal Implementation and Experiences Study (STORIES) aimed to capture stakeholder perspectives during implementation of the renewed National Cervical Screening Program.
Materials And Methods: Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with key National Cervical Screening Program stakeholders 11-20 months following the change, either face-to-face, online, or via phone.
Background: In July 2022, self-collection became universally available as part of Australia's National Cervical Screening Program. This change aims to address screening inequities experienced among underscreened populations, including women of Indian descent. This study explored experiences of cervical screening, alongside the acceptability of self-collection, among women of Indian descent living in Victoria, Australia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground In mid-2022 Australia's National Cervical Screening Program made self-collection of a vaginal sample an option for screening for young women or people with a cervix aged 25 to 29 years for the first time. This study explored what young women thought about, and wanted to know about, self-collection, and what their future screening preferences are. Methods Young women (n =21), aged 24-29years, were recruited through social media.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Cancer clinical trials (CCTs) provide access to emerging therapies and extra clinical care. We aimed to describe the volume and characteristics of CCTs available across Victoria, Australia, and identify factors associated with rural trial location.
Methods: Quantitative analysis of secondary data from Cancer Council Victoria's Clinical Trials Management Scheme dataset.
Aim: To provide a systematic synthesis of primary care practice-based interventions and their effect on participation in population-based cancer screening programs.
Background: Globally, population-based cancer screening programs (bowel, breast, and cervical) have sub-optimal participation rates. Primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) have an important role in facilitating a patient's decision to screen; however, barriers exist to their engagement.
Unlabelled: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to industries and workplaces. Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for COVID-19, which allow individuals to self-administer tests and receive timely results without laboratory testing, provide the opportunity for surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals in non-medical settings. However, the literature offers few lessons regarding how to create enabling conditions for effective and sustainable implementation in a workplace setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Although cervical cancer is a disease of inequity, it can be eliminated as a public health problem through vaccination, screening, and treatment. Human papillomavirus vaginal self-collection cervical screening is a high-performance test that can increase reach of screening. This review describes the different contexts and models of care used to pilot or implement self-collection within the Asia-Pacific, measures the extent that implementation outcome measures are reported and, where available, summarizes key implementation findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In December 2017, the Australian National Cervical Screening Program transitioned from 2-yearly cytology-based to 5-yearly human papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical screening, including a vaginal self-collection option. Until July 2022, this option was restricted to under- or never-screened people aged 30 years and older who refused a speculum exam. We investigated the perspectives and experiences of stakeholders involved in, or affected by, the initial implementation of the restricted self-collection pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Timely diagnosis and early initiation of life-saving antiretroviral therapy are critical factors in preventing mortality among HIV-infected infants. However, resource-limited settings experience numerous challenges associated with centralised laboratory-based testing, including low rates of testing, complex sample referral pathways and unacceptably long turnaround times for results. Point-of-care (POC) HIV testing for HIV-exposed infants can enable same-day communication of results and early treatment initiation for HIV-infected infants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Despite early adoption of the WHO guidelines to deliver lifelong antiretroviral (ARV) regimen to pregnant women on HIV diagnosis, the HIV prevention of mother to child transmission programme in Papua New Guinea remains suboptimal. An unacceptable number of babies are infected with HIV and mothers not retained in treatment. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of this programme and to investigate the factors associated with programme performance outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). There is increasing evidence that anorectal STIs are important in terms of the dual epidemics of HIV and STIs in this setting. At the time of this study, anorectal STI testing was not possible, and there was no mechanism for self-collection of anorectal specimen among at risk 'key populations'.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Papua New Guinea (PNG) has some of the highest prevalence of urogenital sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Pacific Asia, but to date, anorectal STI prevalence data do not exist, and diagnosis of anorectal STIs does not occur. The purpose of this study was to document the acceptability of anorectal STI testing and self-collection of anorectal swabs for testing among populations at risk of anorectal STIs, in advance of a large bio-behavioural survey during which this approach to specimen collection was planned among key populations in PNG.
Methods: Four focus groups were conducted, collecting data from a purposive sample of 35 members of two civil society groups representing female sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender women in Port Moresby and Goroka.