[Screening program for cervical cancer: public policies and experiences of actors who implement the program in the...

The aim of this article is to analyze the way in which the Screening Program for Cervical Cancer is carried out in a dysplasia clinic and related health centers in the state of Veracruz, through the representations and practices of the social actors who implement the program. In order to do so, in-depth interviews and observations of the practices of health service providers were carried out during different periods over the course of three years, from 2009 to 2011. Through the information obtained, the article explores the difficulties, achievements and results of this program as part of a public policy. Although a priority of public health policy is to see the whole population benefit from preventive and curative health care services, evidence shows that marginalized populations are not benefitted by such programs; such information does not however seem to permeate popular and medical knowledge.