Relação entre o não seguimento das recomendações do rastreio de alterações cervicais por meio do citopatológico e a positividade para papilomavírus humano (HPV)

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the profile of patients seen at a gynecology outpatient clinic who underwent cytopathological testing and to analyze the proportion of women who did not follow screening recommendations and those with positive Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) diagnoses in their most recent test. Additionally, to verify whether there is a relationship between non adherence to recommendations and HPV positivity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a gynecology outpatient clinic in Passo Fundo, RS. The convenience sample consisted of women over 18 years old, non-pregnant, referred for cytopathological testing. Data was collected through a questionnaire and a gynecological consultation, followed by laboratory and statistical analysis. The dependent variable was cytological alteration, found in liquid-based cytology and conventional routine samples, as well as the presence of HPV detected by PCR. The independent variables were sociodemographic and health characteristics. Results: The sample consisted of 192 women, aged 19 to 49 years (66.1%), with 5 to 9 years of education (49.2%), white (64.6%), and with a partner (86.5%). Among them, 17.7% did not follow screening recommendations, having undergone the test more than three years ago. In the cytopathological results, 4.7% showed some degree of alteration in the test, being either NICI/LSIL or ASC-H/ASC-US, while in the rapid test, 33.3% (123) of the patients who underwent the test were positive. Conclusion: No statistically significant relationship was observed between not performing the test and HPV positivity. However, it was noted that the lesions found in the sample were of low grade, a factor that suggests the benefits of screening for early diagnosis.