Co-infection with HPV Types from the Same Species Provides Natural Cross-Protection from Progression to Cervical Cancer

The worldwide administration of bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines has resulted in cross-protection against non-vaccine HPV types. Infection with multiple HPV types may offer similar cross-protection in the natural setting. We hypothesized that infections with two or more HPV types from the same species, and independently, infections with two or more HPV types from different species, associate with protection from high-grade lesions

Subtype Distribution of Human Papillomavirus in HIV-Infected Women With Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Stages 2 and 3 in Botswana

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines containing types 16 and 18 are likely to be effective in preventing cervical cancer associated with these HPV types. No information currently exists in Botswana concerning the HPV types causing precancerous or cancerous lesions. Our goal was to determine the prevalence of HPV types associated with precancerous cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) stages 2 and 3 in HIV-infected women in Gaborone, Botswana. HIV-infected women referred to our clinic with high-grade intraepithelial lesion on the Pap smear were enrolled in the study. HPV typing was only performed if the histopathology results showed CIN stage 2 or 3 disease using linear array genotyping (CE-IVD, Roche Diagnostics).One hundred HIV-infected women were identified with CIN stages 2 or 3 between August 11, 2009 and September 29, 2010. Eighty-two of 100 women enrolled had coinfection by multiple HPV subtypes (range, 2 to 12). Of the remaining 18 women, 14 were infected with a single high-risk subtype and 4 had no HPV detected. Overall, 92 (92%) women were infected with at least 1 high-risk HPV subtype, and 56 were coinfected with more than 1 high-risk HPV type (range, 2 to 5). Fifty-one (51%) women had HPV subtypes 16, 18, or both. HPV 16 and 18 are the most common types in HIV-infected women with CIN 2 or 3 in Gaborone, Botswana, suggesting that the implementation of HPV vaccination programs could have a significant impact on the reduction of cervical cancer incidence. However, given the relative lack of knowledge on the natural history of cervical cancer in HIV-infected women and the significant prevalence of infection and coinfection with other high-risk HPV types in our sample, the true impact and cost-effectiveness of such vaccination programs need to be evaluated

Use of Mobile Telemedicine for Cervical Cancer Screening

Visual inspection of the cervix with application of 4% acetic acid (VIA) is an inexpensive alternative to cytology-based screening in areas where resources are limited, such as in many developing countries. We have examined the diagnostic agreement between off-site (remote) expert diagnosis using photographs of the cervix (photographic inspection with acetic acid, PIA) and in-person VIA. The images for remote evaluation were taken with a mobile phone and transmitted by MMS. The study population consisted of 95 HIV-positive women in Gaborone, Botswana. An expert gynaecologist made a definitive positive or negative reading on the PIA results of 64 out of the 95 women whose PIA images were also read by the nurse midwives. The remaining 31 PIA images were deemed insufficient in quality for a reading by the expert gynaecologist. The positive nurse PIA readings were concordant with the positive expert PIA readings in 82% of cases, and the negative PIA readings between the two groups were fully concordant in 89% of cases. These results suggest that mobile telemedicine may be useful to improve access of women in remote areas to cervical cancer screening utilizing the VIA `see-andtreat\u27 method

Unintended Pregnancy in Gaborone, Botswana: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Rates of unintended pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa range from 20-40%. Unintended pregnancy leads to increased maternal and infant mortality, and higher rates of abortions. Potentially high levels of unintended pregnancy in Botswana, against the backdrop of the popularity of short-acting, less-effective contraception, could suggest that the methods available to women are not meeting their contraceptive needs. Little data exists on unintended pregnancy in Botswana. We assessed levels of unintended pregnancy and contraceptive use among 231 pregnant women presenting to the antenatal clinic at the largest hospital in Botswana. Forty-three percent of pregnancies were reported as unintended. Of women with an unintended pregnancy, 72% reported using a contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy at the time of conception. Of the women with unintended pregnancy despite contraceptive use, 88% were using male condoms as their only method of contraception. Women reporting unintended pregnancy were more likely to have had more previous births (p=0.05). While barrier protection with condoms is essential for the prevention of HIV and other STIs, condom use alone may not be meeting the contraceptive needs of women in Botswana. Increased promotion of dual-method contraceptive use with condoms is needed

A root-cause analysis of maternal deaths in Botswana: towards developing a culture of patient safety and quality improvement

BACKGROUND: In 2007, 95% of women in Botswana delivered in health facilities with 73% attending at least 4 antenatal care visits. HIV-prevalence in pregnant women was 28.7%. The maternal mortality ratio in 2010 was 163 deaths per 100 000 live births versus the government target of 130 for that year, indicating that the Millennium Development Goal 5 was unlikely to be met. A root-cause analysis was carried out with the aim of determining the underlying causes of maternal deaths reported in 2010, to categorise contributory factors and to prioritise appropriate interventions based on the identified causes, to prevent further deaths. METHODS: Case-notes for maternal deaths were reviewed by a panel of five clinicians, initially independently then discussed together to achieve consensus on assigning contributory factors, cause of death and whether each death was avoidable or not at presentation to hospital. Factors contributing to maternal deaths were categorised into organisational/management, personnel, technology/equipment/supplies, environment and barriers to accessing healthcare. RESULTS: Fifty-six case notes were available for review from 82 deaths notified in 2010, with 0–4 contributory factors in 19 deaths, 5–9 in 27deaths and 9–14 in nine. The cause of death in one case was not ascertainable since the notes were incomplete. The high number of contributory factors demonstrates poor quality of care even where deaths were not avoidable: 14/23 (61%) of direct deaths were considered avoidable compared to 12/32 (38%) indirect deaths. Highest ranking categories were: failure to recognise seriousness of patients’ condition (71% of cases); lack of knowledge (67%); failure to follow recommended practice (53%); lack of or failure to implement policies, protocols and guidelines (44%); and poor organisational arrangements (35%). Half the deaths had some barrier to accessing health services. CONCLUSIONS: Root-cause analysis demonstrates the interactions between patients, health professionals and health system in generating adverse outcomes for patients. The lessons provided indicate where training of undergraduate and postgraduate medical, midwifery and nursing students need to be intensified, with emphasis on evidence-based practice and adherence to protocols. Action plans and interventions aimed at changing the circumstances that led to maternal deaths can be implemented and re-evaluated

"What if they are pre-conception? What should we do?": Knowledge, practices, and preferences for safer conception among women living with HIV and healthcare providers in Gaborone, Botswana.

Safer conception interventions that address HIV care, treatment, and prevention for HIV-affected couples are increasingly available in sub-Saharan Africa. Botswana, an HIV endemic country, is yet to offer formal safer conception services although universal test-and-treat approaches mean that increasing numbers of young, sexually active people living with HIV will start treatment and likely desire childbearing. In order to advance the safer conception discussion in Botswana, it is necessary to understand the current safer conception knowledge, practices, and preferences of healthcare providers and women living with HIV (WLHIV). We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with ten HIV healthcare providers and ten WLHIV in Gaborone. Interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. Safer conception knowledge was limited and safer conception discussions were rare. Healthcare provider and WLHIV preferences were at odds, with providers preferring WLHIV to initiate safer conception discussions, and WLHIV desiring providers to initiate safer conception discussions. Quotes from women and providers highlight deeper issues about power dynamics, concerns about stigma among women, and provider fears about promoting pregnancy. Providers emphasized the need for guidelines and training in order to improve the provision of safer conception counseling. These findings point to areas where safer conception in Botswana can be improved. Both WLHIV and providers would benefit from having information about a range of safer conception methods and approaches. In addition, since WLHIV felt hesitant about initiating safer conception conversations and feared stigma, and because putting the onus for starting safer conception discussions on women is a reversal of normal roles and power structures, providers must take the lead and routinely initiate fertility desire and safer conception discussions. Assisting healthcare providers with clear safer conception guidelines and training would improve the provision of accurate safer conception counseling and facilitate reproductive choice

High-Resolution Microendoscopy for the Detection of Cervical Neoplasia in Low-Resource Settings

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in developing countries. Developing countries often lack infrastructure, cytotechnologists, and pathologists necessary to implement current screening tools. Due to their low cost and ease of interpretation at the point-of-care, optical imaging technologies may serve as an appropriate solution for cervical cancer screening in low resource settings. We have developed a high-resolution optical imaging system, the High Resolution Microendoscope (HRME), which can be used to interrogate clinically suspicious areas with subcellular spatial resolution, revealing changes in nuclear to cytoplasmic area ratio. In this pilot study carried out at the women's clinic of Princess Marina Hospital in Botswana, 52 unique sites were imaged in 26 patients, and the results were compared to histopathology as a reference standard. Quantitative high resolution imaging achieved a sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 87%, respectively, in differentiating neoplastic (≥CIN 2) tissue from non-neoplastic tissue. These results suggest the potential promise of HRME to assist in the detection of cervical neoplasia in low-resource settings

Using partner notification to address curable sexually transmitted infections in a high HIV prevalence context: a qualitative study about partner notification in Botswana

Background Partner notification is an essential component of sexually transmitted infection (STI) management. The process involves identifying exposed sex partner(s), notifying these partner(s) about their exposure to a curable STI, and offering counselling and treatment for the STI as a part of syndromic management or after results from an STI test. When implemented effectively, partner notification services can prevent the index patient from being reinfected with a curable STI from an untreated partner, reduce the community burden of curable STIs, and prevent adverse health outcomes in both the index patient and his or her sex partner(s). However, partner notification and treatment rates are often low. This study seeks to explore experiences and preferences related to partner notification and treatment for curable STIs among pregnant women receiving care in an antenatal clinic with integrated HIV and curable STI testing. Results are intended to inform efforts to improve partner notification and treatment rates in Southern Africa. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews among women diagnosed with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and/or Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection while seeking antenatal care in Gaborone, Botswana. Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain women’s knowledge about STIs and their experiences and preferences regarding partner notification. Results Fifteen women agreed to participate in the study. The majority of women had never heard of CT, NG, or TV infections prior to testing. Thirteen out of 15 participants had notified partners about the STI diagnosis. The majority of notified partners received some treatment; however, partner treatment was often delayed. Most women expressed a preference for accompanying partners to the clinic for treatment. Experiences and preferences did not differ by HIV infection status. Conclusions The integration of STI, HIV, and antenatal care services may have contributed to most women’s willingness to notify partners. However, logistical barriers to partner treatment remained. More research is needed to identify effective and appropriate strategies for scaling-up partner notification services in order to improve rates of partners successfully contacted and treated, reduce rates of STI reinfection during pregnancy, and ultimately reduce adverse maternal and infant outcomes attributable to antenatal STIs