Background: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Ethiopian. Women living with human immunodeficiency virus are high risk to develop cervical cancer. Despite many interventions being conducted, cervical cancer screening services have low uptake. Also, limited evidence is available on the women’s intention and associated factors to use cervical cancer screening services among women living with the Human immune deficiency virus.
Objective: To assess the magnitude of intention to use cervical cancer screening service and associated factors among HIV-positive women who attends Anti retroviral therapy clinic in East Gojjam public Hospitals, 2022.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study design with a systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit 424 women from May 1 to June 30, 2022. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and chart review using a structured questionnaire. Data were entered in epi-data and exported and analyzed using SPSS version 25 software. Variables at a P-value < 0.25 in binary logistic regression were fitted to multivariable logistic regressions. The odds ratio at 95% CI was used to measure the strength of association at a p-value <0.05.
Results: A total of 417 women participated making a response rate of 98.3%. The magnitude of intention to use screening service was (58.3%), 95% CI= 53.4%- 63.1%). The factors associated with intention were women who have no children (AOR= 2.94, 95%CI: 1.20-7.25), patients with opportunistic infection (AOR=2.12 95%CI: 1.21-4.40); with good knowledge (AOR=2.30, 95% CI: 1.51-3.51); positive Attitude towards cervical cancer screening (AOR=1.53, 95%CI:1.13-2.29); positive subjective norm (AOR=1.53,95%CI, 1.32-2.11) and also respondents with higher PBC were more likely to have the intention to use cervical cancer screening service than counterparts (AOR=1.35,95%CI: 1.51-2.71).
Conclusion and recommendation: In this study more than half of the participants have the intention to use cervical cancer screening services. Positive Attitude towards the behavior, positive subjective norm, high Perceived behavioral control, good knowledge of cervical cancer, women who have no children, and a history of opportunistic infection were the predictors of intention. To change their attitude, behavioral change communication interventions are important.
Keywords: Cervical cancer, Intention, HIV positive, TPB, Ethiopia