Conclusions
The findings of this qualitative study suggest women’s concerns about
fertility and childbearing need to be taken into account when medical
professionals are counseling HPV-positive women. These extracted
concerns may change the way clinicians manage HPV infection. Medical
professionals need to take women’s informational needs more seriously in
designing educational interventions to become one step closer to helping
these women meet their long-term reproductive goals and improve their
reproductive health outcomes. Women identified a need for information
about these sensitive topics so that they can make informed decisions
about having children. Some women may also benefit from referral to a
specialist in the context of assisted reproduction. Women found it
challenging to access reliable, relevant, and timely information.
Moreover, health care providers may lack knowledge about the impact of
HPV on both male and female reproductive capacity. They could benefit
from additional training to be prepared for supporting women experienced
reproductive concerns.