Screening for Cervical Cancer: A Review of Outcome among Infertile Women in a Tertiary Hospital in North-West Nigeria

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer is the most common genital tract malignancy in the developing countries of the world. Interestingly, it has a pre-invasive stage, which can be detected through screening. The etiological organism of the disease is the human papilloma virus (HPV) that is sexually transmitted and sexually transmitted infections play a major role in the causation of infertility in developing countries. AIM The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of abnormal cervical smear among infertile women at Usmanu Dan-Fodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a cross-sectional study involving the assessment of cervical smears taken from infertile women attending the gynecological out-patient clinic of UDUTH sokoto over a 12-month period. cross-sectional study involving the assessment of the cervical smears taken from infertile women attending the gynecological out-patient clinic of UDUTH Sokoto over a 12-month period. Statistical analysis of the results was carried out using the EPI-INFO 3.5.1 (CDC, Atlanta Georgia, USA). Chi square test was used for association at p-value< 0.05 at 95 % confidence interval. RESULTS A total of 162 patients were screened during the study period. Their ages ranged from 15 to 46 years with a mean of 27.9 (6.2) years and modal age of 25-34 years. Majority of the subjects 88/159 (55.4%) were in the lower socio-economic class and 75/159 (47.2%) of the women were nullipara. Out of the 159 subjects with adequate smears, 58/159 (36.8%) were normal while 44/159 (27.8%) had inflammatory lesions. Cervical intraepithelial lesions were observed in 18/159 (11.3%) of the smears while 25 (15.7%) had evidence of HPV infection. CONCLUSIONS Considering the relatively high incidence 18/159 (11.3%) of cervical intraepithelial lesions seen among the subjects, there is the need to integrate cervical smear in the general infertility work-up.