HIV and pre-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the cervix in South Africa: a case-control study.

Background: Cervical cancer and infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are both major public health problems in South Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of cervical pre-cancer and cancer among HIV positive women in South Africa.

Methods: Data were derived from a case-control study that examined the association between hormonal contraceptives and invasive cervical cancer.

The costs of reducing loss to follow-up in South African cervical cancer screening.

Background: This study was designed to quantify the resources used in reestablishing contact with women who missed their scheduled cervical cancer screening visits and to assess the success of this effort in reducing loss to follow-up in a developing country setting.

Methods: Women were enrolled in this Cape Town, South Africa-based screening study between 2000 and 2003, and all had scheduled follow-up visits in 2003. Community health worker (CHW) time, vehicle use, maintenance, and depreciation were estimated from weekly logs and cost accounting systems.