Cervical cancer screening in South Africa Women

Cervical cancer screening in South Africa Women

Abstract

Cervical cancer is often the most common cancer among women in developing countries, yet current screening efforts have not been effective in reducing incidence and mortality rates in these settings. In an effort to increase knowledge about screening participation in low-resource settings, this study will identify key factors affecting women's participation in a cervical screening program in South Africa. We will study women who were exposed to various health promotion educational activities and compared a total of 156 women who will be screening with 155 women who did not.

Cervical cancer screening in South Africa Women

Introduction

Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer among women worldwide, with ~470 000 new cases diagnosed each year. About 80% of cases occur in developing countries, where it is often the most common cancer among women. In many developed countries, cytological screening has led to a significant reduction in the incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer; however, in developing country settings, organized screening programs are limited, and testing is often of poor quality and performed inefficiently among the population. Each year, >48 000 new cases of cervical cancer are reported in South Africa. Current screening efforts have not been effective in reducing high incidence and mortality rates due to cervical cancer in Latin South Africa (Shepherd et al, 1999).

One of the major barriers to prevention of cervical cancer is low screening coverage. In South Africa, ~43% of women reported having had a screening test within the past year. In a recent review of qualitative studies related to cervical cancer screening in Latin South Africa, Agurto et al. found that the main barriers to screening included a lack of accessible and available high-quality services, a lack of comfort and privacy in health centers, discourtesy on the part of health center staff, high cost of services, anxiety related to waiting for test results and an overall fear of cancer. Women also reported benefits of screening, such as peace of mind and being in control of their health. An understanding of the factors affecting women's participation in cervical cancer screening programs is an important element in designing and implementing a program tailored to women's needs—one that encourages women to seek screening, thereby reducing overall disease burden (Murakami, Gursk, Steller.1999).

Although reasons for low participation rates in screening have been studied extensively, a recent Cochrane review of interventions to promote cervical screening shows that they will be undertaken primarily in Europe and North South Africa. Few studies meeting Cochrane criteria will be found in developing country settings. In an effort to increase knowledge about screening participation in low-resource settings, we conducted a study to identify key factors affecting women's participation in a cervical screening program in north central South Africa. The project will be part of the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (ACCP).

Study Objective

Our study's objectives will be to validate the framework and to develop a model of factors significantly associated with women's screening ...