Tery Vasquez Hassinger, MD
TERY VASQUEZ HASSINGER
Nominated From: University of Washington
Research Site: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Research Area: Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Primary Mentor: Ann Duerr, MD, PhD, MPH
Research Project
Going the last mile to deliver cervical cancer screening to Indigenous Women of the Peruvian Amazon: Feasibility testing of a program including self-sampling, point-of-care HPV testing and community health care worker support
Cervical cancer (CC) remains a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, disproportionately affecting women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and Indigenous populations who face persistent barriers to prevention and care. In Peru, where nearly one-quarter of the population self-identifies as Indigenous, access to HPV screening and timely treatment remains highly uneven. Despite updated national guidelines prioritizing molecular HPV testing and self-sampling, services in rural Amazonian regions such as Loreto are still limited by hospital-centered approaches, geographic isolation, and cultural barriers. This study will evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and barriers of HPV self-sampling with an accelerated HPV testing pathway among Indigenous women in Nauta, Loreto, leveraging the Mamás del Río network of community health workers (CHWs). Using a mixed-methods design, we will integrate semi-structured interviews with women, partners, community leaders, and health providers with quantitative data on screening uptake, sample adequacy, and linkage to evaluation/treatment through routine services. Findings will inform the design of community-based, culturally sensitive strategies to strengthen the continuum of care and reduce inequities in cervical cancer prevention.
Research Significance
This research is important because cervical cancer is largely preventable, yet Indigenous women in the Peruvian Amazon continue to face major geographic, cultural, and health system barriers to timely screening and follow-up. Although Peru’s national guidelines now support HPV testing and self-sampling, effective implementation in remote riverine communities remains challenging. By integrating HPV self-sampling into the trusted Mamás del Río community health worker network, this study aims to bring screening closer to women who are often missed by facility-based services. The project will generate practical evidence on acceptability, feasibility, barriers, screening uptake, sample adequacy, result return, and linkage to care. These findings can guide culturally sensitive and scalable strategies for cervical cancer prevention in underserved regions of Peru and may also inform similar approaches for rural, Indigenous, and under-screened populations globally.
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