“Uma doença da mulher”: Experiência e significado do câncer cervical para mulheres que realizaram o Papanicolau

Abstract

This paper seeks to understand the experience and meanings of cervical cancer for women who underwent Pap Test. We conducted a qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with women who lives at Jardim Keralux, located at the eastern zone in São Paulo city, Brazil. Cervical cancer is considered an “invincible disease” when it is in an advanced stage. Its “causes” refer both to precariousness of the healthcare system, some religious beliefs and somebody humoral conceptions. It is a disease marked by gender relations, which asymmetrically defines the relationship between men and women with their family. Cervical cancer is conceived as a female disease, thus is a women’s responsibility to take care of their health through the Pap Test.