Publications by authors named "Enriquito Lu"

The U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) have higher cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates and lower screening coverage compared with the United States.

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Objective: To describe our experience of screening with visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and colposcopy to identify women with high-grade precancerous cervical lesions who were candidates for cryotherapy. Women were screened to determine eligibility for a clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a new, simple and inexpensive cryotherapy device (CryoPop®) targeted for use in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

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Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world, affecting mainly women residing in low- and middle-income countries. Progression from a pre-invasive phase to that of an invasive phase generally takes years and provides a window of opportunity to screen for and treat precancerous lesions.

Methods: This study is being conducted at four sites in north Karnataka, India.

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Background: Afghanistan has one of the highest burdens of maternal mortality in the world, estimated at 638 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017. Infections, obstetric hemorrhage, and unsafe abortion are the three leading causes of maternal death. Contraceptive prevalence rate has fluctuated between 10 and 20% since 2006.

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Background: Improved training approaches have the potential to overcome barriers to the use of postpartum intrauterine devices (PPIUDs) in Pakistan, including a shortage of female providers who are able to insert the device. This study assessed the effectiveness and acceptability of a competency-based onsite training approach that employed a newly developed anatomic model (the Mama-U) to train doctors and midwives on postpartum family planning (PPFP) and the insertion of PPIUDs.

Methods: An observational, mixed methods study conducted training evaluations and knowledge and skills assessments with 11 trainers and 88 doctors and midwives who participated in eight PPIUD training sessions.

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Background: It is estimated that 1%-2% of women develop cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3 (CIN 2-3) annually worldwide. The prevalence among women living with HIV is higher, at 10%. If left untreated, CIN 2-3 can progress to cervical cancer.

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Background: HIV infection increases a woman's risk for cervical cancer, and cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in countries with high HIV prevalence and limited resources for screening. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) allows screening and treatment of cervical lesions in a single-visit approach (SVA), but data on its performance in HIV-infected women are limited. This study's objective was to examine cervical cancer screening using VIA/SVA in programs serving HIV-infected women.

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Background: While the lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer (CaCx) and acquiring HIV is high for women in Tanzania, most women have not tested for HIV in the past year and most have never been screened for CaCx. Good management of both diseases, which have a synergistic relationship, requires integrated screening, prevention, and treatment services. The aim of this analysis is to assess the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of integrating HIV testing into CaCx prevention services in Tanzania, so as to inform scale-up strategies.

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Aim: The Cervical and Breast Cancer Prevention (CECAP) Project sought to develop a national model for cervical cancer prevention in Indonesia based on visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) to detect abnormal changes in the cervix. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a pilot project introducing VIA and cryotherapy in Indonesia and to identify lessons learned that could be applied to the national scale-up of cervical cancer prevention services.

Material And Methods: Fifty-four months (July 2007 to December 2011) of service records at 17 health centers were abstracted and analyzed.

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Introduction: The impact of cervical cancer prevention programs depends on persuading women to go for screening and, if needed, treatment. As part of an evaluation of a pilot project in Indonesia, qualitative research was conducted to explore the factors that influence women's decisions regarding screening and treatment and to generate practical recommendations to increase service coverage and reduce loss to follow up.

Methods: Research was conducted at 7 of the 17 public health centers in Karawang District that implemented the pilot project.

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Thailand in 2000 and Ghana in 2001 initiated cervical cancer prevention programmes using a single-visit approach with visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) with cryotherapy for pre-cancerous lesions. This service was integrated into existing reproductive health services, provided by trained nurses. The providers maintained a high level of competence and performance, including after the withdrawal of external funding.

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