Some women in the UK still unaware of cervical screening

Conclusion This study presents interesting findings on the proportion of women who don't go for cervical screening tests, and the possible reasons for their non-attendance. Researchers found most non-participants were either unaware of screening or intended to go to screening but still failed to go. This was most common in single women aged 25-34. One point to note is that the data was collected through self-reported questionnaires, which carry the risk of inaccurate reporting because of the perceived social stigma around screening and the desire to give the "right" response. In the case of cervical cancer screening, it's possible women know they should attend screening but for whatever reasons don't want to attend, but feel more comfortable saying that they do in fact plan to attend screening, even when they might not in reality. Another point is that women who agree to participate in market research screening interviews may be from different socio-demographic groups to those who don't. This means we can't be completely sure that this sample – despite being large – represents the views and screening participation of the population as a whole.  The researchers suggest that this study will help focus interventions on three main types of non-participants to increase the uptake of cervical screening: those who intend to go to screening but are overdue for the test those unaware of screening those who actively decide not to be screened This incredib...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news