Page 78 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 78
rej Cör
women worldwide are positive for HPV DNA (Bruni et al., 2010). The preva-
lence of high risk HPV ranges from 11 in healthy women in Belgium, 20
in female university students in the USA to 46 in Spanish women in pris-
ons (Beckett, 2016). Study from 2010 shows that 59.2 of Slovenian women
in life have been infected (they have genotypically specific antibodies in the
blood) with at least one of the 12 high-risk HPV genotypes and that at the
time of the study, in 12.2 of women HPV genotype was proven in a cervical
smear (Komloš et al., 2011).
More than 83 of the global burden occurs in developing countries includ-
ing Eastern, Western and Middle Africa, Central America, South Central Asia
and Melanesia, where is the leading cause of cancer-related death among
women (Arbyn et al., 2011). Migration and population mixing has been shown
to increase the risk of sexual transmitted disease including HPV infection
in several regions of the world (Tornesello et al., 2011). Several studies have
documented a higher occurrence of infection-related cancer, including cer-
vical cancer, in immigrants from low and medium-income developing coun-
tries compared to the native populations (Arnold et al., 2013; Beiki, Allebeck,
Nordqvist, & Moradi, 2009).
Tornesello et al. (2014) reported 51.9 overall prevalence of HPV infection
observed among 499 migrant women living in Southern Italy, much higher
compared to the infection frequency of 13.4 observed among 3,817 Italian
women attending organised cervical cancer screening, and of 19.7 found
in 183 Italian women with normal cytology self-referring for gynaecological
care. The high burden of HPV infection in migrants may reflect the high vi-
ral prevalence in their country of origin. Besides, the HPV genotypes are not
equally distributed in different populations. They reported, that among HPV-
positive migrant women, the fraction of HPV16 infections varied between
15.4 from Africa and 51.1 from Southern and Eastern Europe (Tornesello
et al., 2011). Other common viral types were HPV31 that cause infections in
migrant women from Southern and Eastern Europe, Southern and Central
America, and Southern Asia; as well as HPV58 and HPV53 in African HPV-
positive women (Tornesello et al., 2014).
To analyse the barriers impeding adequate cervical cancer screening in im-
migrant and refugee women, one must become familiar with the challenges
faced by this population and the ways in which their incoming culture and
experiences may be incompatible with our current approaches to preventa-
tive care. Among migrant and refugee communities, talking about sex is of-
ten forbidden due to cultural and religious taboos. Patriarchal values cultur-
ally prescribed gender roles may impact on women’s access to sexual health
screening (Metusela et al., 2017).
76
women worldwide are positive for HPV DNA (Bruni et al., 2010). The preva-
lence of high risk HPV ranges from 11 in healthy women in Belgium, 20
in female university students in the USA to 46 in Spanish women in pris-
ons (Beckett, 2016). Study from 2010 shows that 59.2 of Slovenian women
in life have been infected (they have genotypically specific antibodies in the
blood) with at least one of the 12 high-risk HPV genotypes and that at the
time of the study, in 12.2 of women HPV genotype was proven in a cervical
smear (Komloš et al., 2011).
More than 83 of the global burden occurs in developing countries includ-
ing Eastern, Western and Middle Africa, Central America, South Central Asia
and Melanesia, where is the leading cause of cancer-related death among
women (Arbyn et al., 2011). Migration and population mixing has been shown
to increase the risk of sexual transmitted disease including HPV infection
in several regions of the world (Tornesello et al., 2011). Several studies have
documented a higher occurrence of infection-related cancer, including cer-
vical cancer, in immigrants from low and medium-income developing coun-
tries compared to the native populations (Arnold et al., 2013; Beiki, Allebeck,
Nordqvist, & Moradi, 2009).
Tornesello et al. (2014) reported 51.9 overall prevalence of HPV infection
observed among 499 migrant women living in Southern Italy, much higher
compared to the infection frequency of 13.4 observed among 3,817 Italian
women attending organised cervical cancer screening, and of 19.7 found
in 183 Italian women with normal cytology self-referring for gynaecological
care. The high burden of HPV infection in migrants may reflect the high vi-
ral prevalence in their country of origin. Besides, the HPV genotypes are not
equally distributed in different populations. They reported, that among HPV-
positive migrant women, the fraction of HPV16 infections varied between
15.4 from Africa and 51.1 from Southern and Eastern Europe (Tornesello
et al., 2011). Other common viral types were HPV31 that cause infections in
migrant women from Southern and Eastern Europe, Southern and Central
America, and Southern Asia; as well as HPV58 and HPV53 in African HPV-
positive women (Tornesello et al., 2014).
To analyse the barriers impeding adequate cervical cancer screening in im-
migrant and refugee women, one must become familiar with the challenges
faced by this population and the ways in which their incoming culture and
experiences may be incompatible with our current approaches to preventa-
tive care. Among migrant and refugee communities, talking about sex is of-
ten forbidden due to cultural and religious taboos. Patriarchal values cultur-
ally prescribed gender roles may impact on women’s access to sexual health
screening (Metusela et al., 2017).
76
