Ghana News
23.8% of nuns in Ghana are HPV positive in cervical cancer tests.
23.8% of nuns in Ghana are HPV positive in cervical cancer tests.
A recent cervical cancer screening initiative in Ghana has revealed that 23.8% of nuns tested positive for high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The study was conducted as part of the “10,000 Women Initiative” by mPharma, which aims to provide free HPV testing to women in Ghana and Nigeria to address the rising cases of cervical cancer.
According to findings reported by Gavi, out of 105 nuns who participated in the screening, 25 tested positive for high-risk HPV.
Challenging misconceptions
Nuns are not a population that many would assume to be at risk for cervical cancer. A widespread belief that HPV is only transmitted through sexual contact has resulted in nuns and other religious groups being excluded from screening in some countries.
The initiative provided self-collection kits to nuns in convents across Greater Accra, Volta, and Central regions of Ghana. Those who tested positive for HPV were offered further diagnostic procedures such as Pap smears and colposcopies, with clinically relevant changes observed in two individuals. Follow-up tests suggested that these individuals were in good health.
“Our main aim was to offer cervical cancer prevention services to a group that might have been overlooked,” the researchers stated.
Dr. Kofi Effah, head of the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Training Centre at the Catholic Hospital in Battor, Ghana, noted that this discovery challenges the long-held perception that nuns have a lower risk of HPV infection. “The use of bulb syringes (bentua) is common in Ghana, and in many families, these syringes are shared among family members, including children,” Effah explained.
Research has shown that HPV can be transmitted through non-sexual means, and nuns, like other religious women, may encounter barriers to cervical cancer screening. Dr. Effah emphasized that many in the medical field are unaware of this, often misinforming nuns that they are at no risk of infection, thus perpetuating stigma.
What you should know
HPV, while often linked to sexual transmission, can also be spread through non-sexual means. In rare cases, it can be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth, particularly if the mother has genital warts.
Another often-overlooked method of transmission could arise from traditional practices, such as the use or sharing of bulb syringes (bentua) for enemas. In many West African households, these syringes are frequently shared among family members, including children, potentially facilitating the virus’s spread.
HPV has been detected on common surfaces like toilet seats and medical tools, and even on people’s fingertips, according to Prof. Alan Nyitray of the Medical College of Wisconsin. While a man’s penis is typically seen as the primary vehicle for HPV transmission, non-penetrative activities, such as hand-to-genital contact, could also spread the virus, underscoring that non-sexual transmission is possible in certain cases. This indicates that the virus may be transferred through casual contact, although this has not been conclusively proven.
Understanding these various transmission pathways will promote inclusive HPV screening and prevention efforts for all populations.
