Utilization of Cervical Cancer Screening and associated factors among HIV-positive Women attending Public Hospitals in North Shoa, Ethiopia, mixed study

Introduction Cervical cancer screening is used to find changes in the cells of the cervix that could lead to cancer. Despite, screening is one of the secondary preventive strategies, the case is still growing. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the utilization of cervical cancer screening services and associated factors among Women living with human immunodeficiency virus at public hospitals in North Shoa, Ethiopia, 2022. Methods and materials: A mixed-study method among 396 women was conducted from April 1-June 25, 2022. Systematic random sampling was used to select women for face–to–face interviews and purposive sampling was used to select 18 mothers for in-depth interviews. The bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done. The data were collected through the face-to-face interview by a structured questionnaire. For analysis, the data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 software. Bivariate analysis for candidate variables selection (p< 0.25) was used. Multivariable analysis for p-value < 0.05 and 95% confidence level were considered as significantly associated. Results: The proportion of cervical cancer screening utilization among HIV-positive women was 12.1%, 95% confidence interval of 9%- 15%. Variables like an age between 40-49 years [AOR = 3.65; 95%CI=1.20, 11.07], having college above educational level [AOR = 3.04; 95% CI: 1.05, 8.80], Urban residents [AOR = 3.49; 95%CI=1.64, 7.44], and having good knowledge [AOR 3.9; 95%CI: 1.70, 8.83] were significantly associated with utilization of cervical cancer screening service. Service interruption, poor awareness, and rumor were barrier of utilization of cervical cancer screening among HIV-positive women. The results were presented by tables, text, and charts. Conclusion and recommendation: The finding of this study showed that only one in ten HIV-positive women was screened. We recommend that increasing women’s knowledge about cervical cancer screening, particularly targeting the younger ones, is crucial to enhance the utilization of screening and promote health education among rural women so that recommended cervical cancer screening can be utilized more effectively.