Assessment of cervical cancer screening and its barriers in 18-50 year old women referring to Asad Abad comprehensive health centers

Abstract

Background and Objective: Cervical cancer is a major health problem in Iranian women. The aim of this study was to assess the status of cervical cancer screening and its barriers in women referred to the health centers of Asad Abad. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, 200 married women aged 18-50 years old referred to Asad Abad comprehensive health centers were selected through cluster sampling in 2016. Data were collected using questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to examine the relationship between qualitative variables. Results: More than half (54.5%) of the patients reported a history of performing a Pap smear test. Out of these patients, 51.37% performed only one test and 10.09%, repeated the test at standard intervals. 68.8% of the subjects performed the test on the recommendation of a doctor or midwife. The results of Chi-square test showed that there was a significant difference between the prevalence of Pap smear and the number of pregnancies (P= 0.004) and prevention (P= 0.01). The most important reasons for denying Pap smear or doing it irregularly were, lack of knowledge through the necessity of testing, lack of time and fear of positive test results. Conclusion: This study showed low female performance in performing Pap smear and the most important barrier was lack of awareness. Therefore it is suggested to conduct different educational programs which make women sensitive about the benefits of screening and early diagnosis of disease in early stages.