Hispanic women's concerns about disclosure of their HPV + status

Disclosure of the positive results of a human papillomavirus (HPV) test could mediate future transmission of HPV and facilitate women's medical care. During in-depth interviews with Hispanic women living on the Texas-Mexico border, we explored their reactions to learning they had HPV and issues related to disclosure. Only 18 of 42 participants understood that they were HPV + and that HPV was a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Among these women, concerns about being HPV + differed according to their age group. Although all expressed surprise and fear, single unattached women younger than 28 years were more concerned about financial issues, parental responses, and the possibility of cancer and its effects on their fertility. Women 28 years and older or who had more than one child feared disclosure to their partners would incur accusations of infidelity and/or abandonment. Interventions for HPV + Hispanic women in underserved communities should respond to concerns related to the woman's age and stage in life.