Self-reports of Pap smear screening in women with physical disabilities

We collected self reported rate of cervical smear testing and to examine the affecting factors in women with physical disabilities in the study, to define the reproductive health care for this group of people. The study population recruited 521 women with physical disabilities aged more than 15 years who were officially registered as having physical disabilities in Taipei County, Taiwan. Those people with physical disabilities include following: upper and low limb, spinal cord injury and other nervous system impairments. Results found that there were 71.5% participants had ever used the Pap smear tests in their life time and mean age of the first screening was 39.21±10.16 years (range=20-85 years). Nearly 41% of participants expressed that they had accepted the screening within 1 year and 28.1% reported they used the Pap smear screening regularly. Our study also found women with physical disabilities have higher use of Pap smear tests than does the general population in Taiwan (74% vs. 64% in aged≥30 years). Logistic regression model for the use of Pap smear test indicated that those married women (OR=12.06, 95% CI=6.85-21.22), with mild level of disability (OR=2.10, 95% CI=1.05-4.21) and high cognitive level toward Pap smear information were factors to affect the use of Pap smear in the study participants. We suggest the further study should conduct to examine the quality perception and follow-up service of Pap smear test for women with physical disabilities, to ensure the health care right for this group of women.