Barriers Contributing to Disparities in HPV and Cervical Cancer Screening Among African American and Hispanic Females and the Need for Early Detection

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States with approximately 14 million people infected each year (Feldman et al., 2017). African American and Hispanic females have the highest prevalence of HPV infections, but a low attendance of preventive screening.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the barriers contributing to disparities in HPV and cervical cancer screening among African American and Hispanic females.

Method: An integrative literature review was conducted. An analysis of literature was conducted to identify barriers from qualitative and quantitative studies. The data for this literature review was found using a variety of databases through the DePaul University Library and evaluated using a qualitative approach.

Results: Findings from this integrative literature review address common barriers among African American and Hispanic women. These barriers include: absence of knowledge, lack of outreach in the community, low rates of HPV vaccination, unsafe sexual practices, fatalistic attitudes, and deficit in patient provider relationship.

Conclusion: Based on the identification of the most common barriers discussed in the literature, both minority groups would benefit from safe sexual practices, educational resources catered towards women’s health, specifically the benefits of HPV vaccinations, and knowledge of cervical cancer prevalence in their communities.

Key words: HPV screening, Humanpapilloma virus, cervical cancer screening, cultural barriers, prevalence, African American, Hispanic, early screening, recommendations, interventions, early detection, & females.