Pap Smear Testing and Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid and Its Correlation With Human Papilloma Virus Dna in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity among Indian women, especially due to inadequate screening coverage in rural areas. Aims And Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of VIA and Pap smear in cervical cancer screening and confirm HPV involvement using DNA testing. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1200 symptomatic women over 18 years using VIA, Pap smear, and HPV DNA testing. Results: Pap smear detected abnormalities in 12.5% of participants, while VIA showed 11% positivity. Combined testing achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 97.35%, with Pap smear alone at 60.65% and VIA at 50.32%. HPV DNA testing demonstrated 78.06% diagnostic accuracy, with Type 16 being the most prevalent strain (56.4%). Rural and lower socioeconomic groups showed higher test positivity. Statistically significant associations were found between HPV positivity, family history, and low socioeconomic status. Conclusion: VIA and Pap smear are effective, especially in combination. HPV DNA testing adds diagnostic value and confirms viral etiology.