Publications by authors named "Dorothy Machalek"

This review assesses Poland's activities in preventing and managing human papillomavirus (HPV)-related diseases, summarizing information from the 2023 HPV Prevention and Control Board meeting. Progress in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention identifies opportunities to strengthen control of cervical cancer. Poland's national HPV vaccination program, launched in June 2023, initially achieved suboptimal coverage.

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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.

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Background: The World Health Organization has endorsed single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, but data on the impact on HPV prevalence in high HIV burden settings are limited.

Methods: A single-dose bivalent HPV vaccine was delivered to adolescent girls in grade 10 in a schools-based campaign in 1 district in South Africa. Impact on HPV 16 and 18 prevalence was evaluated using repeat cross-sectional surveys.

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Article Synopsis
  • In 2014, South Africa launched an HPV vaccination program for girls aged 9 and older, but this study focused on 17-18 year old girls who weren't vaccinated, assessing HPV prevalence and related risk factors.
  • From June to December 2019, the study surveyed adolescents at primary care clinics and collected data on HPV testing, HIV status, and sexual history from 900 participants, with a focus on understanding the link between these factors and HPV detection.
  • Results showed that 56.5% had high-risk HPV, with a higher prevalence in those living with HIV, underscoring the need for increased HPV vaccination efforts in populations with high HIV rates.
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Cervical cancer is preventable, yet it remains the fourth most common cancer in women globally. The highest incidence and mortality occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where over 70% of women have never been screened, and 58% of the cases are in Asia. While the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions to cervical screening programs, particularly for LMICs, there were opportunities that emerged from the pandemic that were enablers of program recovery.

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Article Synopsis
  • Australia implemented a national HPV vaccination program for girls in 2007 and boys in 2013, achieving strong coverage among both groups, with a study focusing on HPV prevalence among men aged 18-35 based on their vaccination status.
  • Of the 1,625 men studied, the HPV prevalence was similar for vaccinated and unvaccinated men who have sex with women (10.6% vs. 10.7%), while unvaccinated men who have sex with men had a significantly higher prevalence (40.3%) compared to vaccinated men (29.9%).
  • The findings highlight that universal vaccination is crucial for all adolescents, particularly to ensure that men who have sex with men also gain protection from HPV, as older
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Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and regular (i.e., every five years) cervical screening are essential to prevent cervical cancer.

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Background: Despite surgical and pharmacological interventions, endometriosis can recur. Reliable information regarding risk of recurrence following a first diagnosis is scant. The aim of this study was to examine clinical and survey data in the setting of disease recurrence to identify predictors of risk of endometriosis recurrence.

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Global methylation analysis of gene promoters is promising for detection of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse (HSIL+) in high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV)-positive women. However, diagnostic performance of methylation data at individual CpG-sites is limited. We explored methylation for predicting HSIL+ in self- and clinician-collected samples from Papua New Guinea.

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Objective: WHO recommends human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for cervical screening, with triage of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) positive women. However, there are limitations to effective triage for low-resource, high-burden settings, such as Papua New Guinea. In this exploratory study, we assessed the performance of host methylation as triage tools for predicting high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in self-collected and clinician-collected samples.

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Background: Differences in opinion concerning the contribution of M. genitalium to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) has resulted in inconsistencies across global testing and treatment guidelines. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the association between M.

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The efficiency of PCR-based diagnostic assays can be impacted by the quality of DNA template, and anal samples can be particularly problematic due to the presence of faecal contaminants. Here, we compared the Quick-DNA Viral Kit (Zymo, Zymo Research, CA) and MagNA Pure 96 DNA and Viral NA Small Volume Kit (MP96, Roche) for use of the Seegene Anyplex II HPV28 assay (Anyplex28, Seegene) with anal samples. A total of 94 anal samples extracted using the MP96 and Zymo kits were tested via the Anyplex28, which detects high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV, Panel A) and low-risk (LR-HPV, Panel B) HPV types.

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The quantity of the human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with disease outcome. We designed an accurate and precise digital PCR assay for quantitating HPV in anal samples, a sample type that is typically problematic due to the presence of PCR inhibitors.

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Article Synopsis
  • HPV is linked to various cancers, particularly cervical cancer, which has a higher incidence on Reunion Island compared to mainland France, highlighting the need for improved vaccination and screening efforts.
  • The RUN-SurV-HPV study aims to explore the prevalence of different HPV genotypes among the young population at risk, examining factors like gender and anatomical sites.
  • The research will analyze samples from 1200 patients aged 16 to 30, collected during routine STI testing from 2020 to 2022, to better understand HPV risks and support vaccination initiatives.
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  • Australia's National Cervical Screening Program underwent a significant transition to a primary HPV testing method, resulting in a longer screening interval and earlier initiation age, impacting pathology labs' roles and operations.
  • Semi-structured interviews with 49 stakeholders revealed four main themes: positive acceptance and evidence for the transition, challenges with lab infrastructure and staffing, missed opportunities for improving equity, and suggestions for better planning and communication.
  • The study indicates that although the transition was generally viewed favorably, better preparation and engagement with the pathology sector are essential for successful implementation.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing challenges to achieving the WHO target of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by working towards the target of fewer than four cases per 100 000 women. We reviewed the literature to identify potential recovery strategies to support cervical cancer prevention programs in lower-and middle-income countries (LMICs) following COVID-19 disruptions and the extent to which strategies have been implemented. Utilising the WHO health systems framework, we mapped these recovery strategies against the six building blocks to examine their reach across the health system.

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Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted infection with increasing concerns around antimicrobial resistance. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is a rapid quantification method with high precision that may be useful for absolute quantitation of bacteria in samples. This study aimed to develop a ddPCR assay for the quantification of M.

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Context.—: Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues may identify the cause of lesions and has value for the development of new diagnostic assays and epidemiologic studies. Seegene Anyplex II assays are widely used for HPV screening, but their performance using FFPE samples has not been fully explored.

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In this study, we aimed to document stakeholders' experiences of implementing Australia's renewed National Cervical Screening Program. In December 2017, the program changed from 2nd yearly cytology for 20-69 year olds to 5 yearly human papillomavirus (HPV) screening for women 25-74 years. We undertook semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including government, program administrators, register staff, clinicians and health care workers, non-government organisations, professional bodies, and pathology laboratories from across Australia between Nov 2018 - Aug 2019.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The World Health Organization (WHO) started a plan in 2018 to help eliminate cervical cancer by providing vaccines, screening, and treatment.
  • * There are still big challenges in helping women with HIV, including the need for better vaccines and addressing issues like poverty and discrimination.
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Background: Although single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Mycoplasma genitalium parC contribute to fluoroquinolone treatment failure, data are limited for the homologous gene, gyrA. This study investigated the prevalence of gyrA SNPs and their contribution to fluoroquinolone failure.

Methods: Samples from 411 patients (male and female) undergoing treatment for M.

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The AnyPlexTM II STI-7e panel assay (Seegene) detects seven sexually transmitted organisms (Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, M. hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, U. parvum, and Trichomonas vaginalis).

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Background: Gay and bisexual men (GBM) are at increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Understanding the fractions of HSILs attributable to HPV genotypes is important to inform potential impacts of screening and vaccination strategies. However, multiple infections are common, making attribution of causative types difficult.

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Background: 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.

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