Prevalence of human papillomavirus and cervical neoplasia among women who have sex with women in Cameroon: A descriptive study

This descriptive study addresses a critical research gap by examining HPV and cervical neoplasia among women who have sex with women (WSW) in Cameroon, an underserved population. WSW typically undergo less frequent cervical cancer screening. We conducted a pilot study in Douala, Cameroon, recruiting WSW through Elle Cameroon, a community organization serving underserved populations. Working within the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, participants underwent HPV screening and Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) enhanced by Digital Cervicography (DC). We ran the frequencies and determined the p-values, prevalence odds ratios (POR) and prevalence risk ratios (PRR) using STATA 17. Statistical significance was set at 0.05. Of 26 participants enrolled, 19 (73.1%) provided valid HPV results, with 57.9% (11/19) testing positive for HPV. Also 80.8 % (21/26) of the participants were screened for cervical neoplasia and 19.05% (4/19) were positive. There was no significant association between HPV cervical neoplasia. Those who were HPV positive had 1.4 and 1.3 POR and PRR respectively. Our results suggest high prevalence of oncogenic HPV and cervical neoplasia among WSW in Cameroon. An adequately powered study is needed to further elucidate these findings and address healthcare disparities in this underserved population.