Psychological responses of women infected with cervical human papillomavirus: A qualitative study in Taiwan

Objective: To determine the psychological response of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infected women. Materials and Methods: Twenty oncogenic or high-risk HPV infected cases were collected by purposive sampling, and a 2-hour in-depth interview was carried out with 20 women at a tertiary referring medical center. The interview content was analyzed using the qualitative method. Psychological responses included cognition, emotions, and behavior. Results: Differences in psychological responses arose more from individual cognition and personality than from whether or not one was single or married. After learning of their infection, most patients searched the Internet for HPV information and for a reputable doctor. They cared about privacy in the outpatient clinic. Most patients had all kinds of negative feelings, principally involving fear, worry, and suspicion. The better a couple's relationship, the less these patients struggled to tell the truth (HPV infection). Patients often urged partners to check-up and advised friends for Pap smear tests. Conclusions: Most HPV infected women have many kinds of negative feelings. Psychological help for these women is necessary.