# African American and African-Born Black Women’s Perspectives and Experiences with a Cervical Health Education and HPV-Self Sampling Intervention

## TL;DR

This study explores how African American and African-born Black women experienced a cervical health education program and HPV self-sampling, finding it empowering and accessible.

## Contribution

The study introduces a culturally adapted cervical cancer prevention intervention combining education and HPV self-sampling for minoritized women.

## Key findings

- Themes of empowerment, enlightenment, and accessibility emerged from participants' experiences.
- HPV self-collection was perceived as convenient but also accompanied by fear.
- The intervention was well-received and could improve screening uptake among minoritized groups.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: A combination of cervical cancer prevention education and the provision of HPV self-collection kits has been found to increase the uptake of HPV testing among women. However, there is limited research evaluating the perspectives and experiences of women who have participated in a cancer prevention education and received a complimentary HPV self-collection kit. We report the experiences of women who took part in Health is Wealth: a cervical health intervention and received a complimentary HPV self-sampling kit for cervical cancer screening. Methods: This pilot qualitative study enrolled twenty-four women who participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews to provide feedback and recommendations for improving future iterations of the intervention. Results: Overall, themes related to women’s experiences include empowerment and connections; enlightenment; and accessibility and engagement. In addition, themes related to HPV self-collection include, not as difficult as I thought; convenience; and fear. Our findings suggest that a tailored intervention, which delivers cervical cancer education alongside complementary HPV self-sampling kits while addressing unique barriers experienced by minoritized groups, was well received by African American and African-born Black women. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that a culturally adapted intervention combining cervical cancer education with HPV self-sampling kits was positively received by African American and African-born Black women. This emphasizes the interventions’ potential to improve screening uptake by addressing unique barriers and promoting empowerment, convenience, and accessibility.