SOCIAL MEDIA AS A RECRUITMENT TOOL FOR CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING & RESEARCH IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO.

Most cervical cancers are caused by infection with high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. Cervical cancer is preventable through vaccination against HPV and regular screening tests. In the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is one of few countries that has not seen a decline in cervical cancer mortality and has the second highest mortality to incidence ratio after Haiti. Our study seeks to examine the use of social media as a tool for cervical cancer education, research and outreach in the T&T population. An estimated 51% of the T&T population 18 years and older are Facebook users and consequently, we believe that Facebook represents an effective means of educating and mobilizing the T&T population towards cervical cancer prevention.