'Does HPV affect my fertility?' Reproductive concerns of HPV-positive women: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Reproductive health changes can occur following infection with Human papillomavirus. HPV is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection causing a variety of clinical manifestations ranging from warts to cancer. This study aimed to explore the reproductive concerns of women infected with HPV. Methods In this qualitative study, we used the conventional content analysis approach, with the aid of MAXQDA.10 software, to analyze data extracted from the face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 20 Iranian HPV-positive women (sampled by maximum variation purposive sampling). The accuracy of this research was ensured according to the four criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln. Results Exploring participants' reproductive concerns, three main categories were identified from the interviews including concerns about fertility potential, pregnancy and non-pregnancy reproductive issues. HPV-positive women concerned about reduced female/ male fertility due to HPV, the impact of the HPV on the fetal health, adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage and preterm delivery, and mother-to-child transmission of HPV during breastfeeding. HPV-positive women with abnormal cytology results were anxious that becoming pregnant or taking hormonal contraception might worsen their abnormalities. Most married women were reluctant to use a condom. Participants requested further information about the potential reproductive risks of the HPV vaccine. They also wanted to know about the safety of HPV vaccine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Conclusions HPV-positive women had some reproductive concerns that should be considered in the designing of educational-consulting interventions. Women need to be better understood and informed about the impact of HPV on their reproductive health. Health care providers may lack knowledge about these specific areas, and they could benefit from additional up-to-date information to address women's reproductive concerns.

Adaptation of patients diagnosed with human papillomavirus: a grounded theory study

“…A review of literature shows that the studies conducted on HPV are mostly focused on women, and such matters as quality of life [ 10 ], marital adaptation to the infection (using a quantitative approach) [ 11 ], vaccination [ 12 ], the psycho-sexual effects of being diagnosed with HPV [ 13 , 14 ], women’s experiences of facing their infection [ 15 ], women’s psychological responses to positive HPV test [ 16 ], the information management processes of women living with HPV [ 17 ], and reproductive concerns of HPV- positive women [ 18 ]. Research findings show that testing positive for human papillomavirus is accompanied by feelings of shame, stigma, self-deprecation, regret, anxiety and concern [ 16 , 18 , 19 ]. To the best knowledge of the authors, no work of research has addressed the process of adaptation in men and women with HPV.…”

Unpacking HPV Stigma: Assessing Healthcare Workers’ Knowledge and Stigma Towards HPV While Exploring the Connection Between the Two

“…In a mixed-method study conducted in the United States, 30 of 94 women who planned on getting pregnant indicated that their HPV test results would change their future pregnancy plans. 27 …”

Unraveling Immunological Dynamics: HPV Infection in Women—Insights from Pregnancy

“…Throughout pregnancy, HPV-related lesions such as condyloma acuminata tend to significantly increase in size and number, oftentimes requiring local treatment after the first trimester [127][128][129]. However, in some cases, large lesions may obstruct the urinary tract and/or the birth canal, thus prompting the recommendation of cesarean delivery [127,128,130].…”