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, aimed at offering free HPV testing to women in Ghana and Nigeria to combat the rising cases of cervical cancer.
According to the findings as reported by Gavi, out of 105 nuns who participated in the screening, 25 tested positive for high-risk HPV.
Challenging misconceptions
Nuns aren’t a population that many people would expect to be at risk of cervical cancer. Indeed, a widespread assumption that human papillomavirus (HPV) is only spread through sexual contact has meant that nuns and other religious groups aren’t screened for it 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 detected in two individuals. Follow-up tests suggested these individuals were in good health.
“Our main aim was to offer cervical cancer prevention services to a group that might have been ignored,” The researchers said.
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-standing perception that nuns are at a lower risk of HPV infection. “The use of bulb syringes (bentua) is common in Ghana and in many families the bulb syringes are shared by family members, including children,” Effah stated
Research has shown that HPV can be transmitted through non-sexual means, and nuns, like other religious women, may face barriers to cervical cancer screening. Dr. Effah highlighted that many in the medical field are unaware of this, often misinforming nuns that they are at no risk of infection, thus creating a stigma.
What you should know
HPV, while often associated with 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 overlooked method of transmission could stem from traditional practices, such as the use or sharing of bulb syringes (bentua) for enemas. In many West African households, these syringes are often shared among family members, including children, potentially spreading the virus.
HPV has been found 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 like hand-to-genital contact could also spread the virus, emphasizing that non-sexual transmission is possible in some cases. This suggests that the virus could be transferred through casual contact, though this hasn’t been definitively proven.
Understanding these diverse transmission pathways will encourage inclusive HPV screening and prevention efforts for all populations.
