HPV-Based Screen-and-Treat Demonstration Project in Lilongwe

The purpose of this study is to assess completion and performance of the following novel invasive cervical cancer (ICC) screen-and-treat algorithm among 625 HIV-positive women in Lilongwe, Malawi: 1) rapid testing of self-collected vaginal brush for primary high risk (hr)-human papillomavirus (HPV), 2) same-day visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for women who are hr-HPV positive, and 3) thermocoagulation for VIA positive/ablation-eligible (by cervical colposcopy) women.

This is a single arm, prospective study of 1,250 women (625 HIV-positive and 625 HIV-negative) enrolled from outpatient clinics that provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and/or HIV care services in Lilongwe, Malawi. The primary objectives of this study are to assess completion of a novel ICC screen-and-treat strategy among HIV-positive women in Lilongwe, Malawi, using self-collected vaginal brush for hr-HPV testing, followed by same-day NIA and thermocoagulation for HPV-positive/NIA-positive/ablation-eligible (by colposcopy) women, and to determine the 24-week efficacy of thermocoagulation among HIV-positive women with CIN2/3. The secondary objective will be to evaluate the performance of the ICC screen-and-treat strategy by estimating overtreatment for women who are HPV-positive/NIA-positive/ablation-eligible, and undertreatment among HPV-positive/NIA-negative women.