Detection of HPV mRNA in self-collected vaginal samples among urban Ethiopian women

Background/Aim: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Ethiopia. The objective was to evaluate the participation rate of a free of charge vaginal self-sample (Aptima multitest swab, Hologic) for the detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) in an Ethiopian cohort. Patients and Methods: Specimens were collected from women employed by Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Abeba (N=5950). Samples were analysed for the presence of highrisk (HR) HPV mRNA by the Aptima HPV assay (Hologic) and HPV positive women were referred for cytology. Identification of HPV types among HPV positive samples was performed by Modified general primer-PCR and Luminex assay. Results: Participation rate was 3.1% and the prevalence of HPV mRNA was 20.6% (37/180). Conclusion: Primary HPV mRNA screening with vaginal self-sampling may be an acceptable approach in Ethiopia. One out of five women harbor HPV in their vaginal self-sample in agreement with other similar studies from the region.