[Cervical cancer screening: Is active recruitment worth the effort?]

Area of Science:

• Gynecology
• Public Health
• Oncology

Background:

• Cervical cancer screening is crucial for early detection and prevention.
• Opportunistic screening programs aim to reach target populations.
• Understanding screening coverage and HPV prevalence is vital for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine Pap smear coverage in women aged 40-50.
• To identify cervical cancer precursors and HPV prevalence in unscreened/inadequately screened women.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of active recruitment for cervical cancer screening.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study conducted at Natahoyo Health Centre, Gijón, Spain.
• Data collected via databases, telephone, and home surveys.
• Active recruitment offered cytology and HPV testing to unscreened/inadequately screened women.

Main Results:

• 87% of 1420 women aged 40-50 had Pap smears in the last 5 years.
• 13% were unscreened or inadequately screened; 58.7% of these accepted cytology and HPV testing.
• HPV prevalence was 8.3%; no high-grade cervical dysplasia was diagnosed.

Conclusions:

• Opportunistic cervical cancer screening coverage is high in this population.
• Active recruitment strategies for cervical cancer screening were not effective.
• Further research may be needed to optimize screening program outreach.