Developing a measure of health-related quality of life for women with cervical dysplasia resulting from human papillomavirus infection

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the USA, and has major physical and psychological consequences including fear, anxiety and stigma. To date, there is no measure of health-related quality of life specifically designed to assess symptoms and functioning for people with cervical dysplasia resulting from HPV infection. In the present study, we set out to develop a disease-specific measure of health-related quality of life among women with low-grade cervical dysplasia. We conducted literature reviews, open-ended interviews with patients, clinician surveys and cognitive interviews which guided item development. The result is a preliminary 36-item measure, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Cervical Dysplasia (FACIT-CD), which sets out to assess the physical and psychological health-related quality-of-life aspects of cervical dysplasia and will be validated in an upcoming study.