Does introduction of user fees affect the utilization of cervical cancer screening services in Nigeria?

Screening for cervical cancer improves outcome. This comes at an economic price which some may not be able to afford.

To evaluate the influence of user fees on the utilization of cervical cancer screening services in Port Harcourt.

A cross sectional study of clients presenting for cervical cancer screening. Data on the number, socio-demographic characteristics, distance from screening center following 1 month of free cancer screening and 7 months of user fee introduction, was collated and analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical software. Results are presented in percentages, tables and charts with test of significance set at P < 0.05.

Of the 167 women who presented for cervical cancer screening during the study period, the mean age was 42.08 ± 8.9 years and range was 20-70 years. The average parity of patients was 2.83 ± 2.24. Clients' utilization of cervical cancer screening facilities was negatively affected by the introduction of user fees P < 0.001). There is no association between the distance of patients' home from the hospital and the utilization of facility (X² = 0.24, P = 0.887). There was sustained decrease in number of clients with the introduction of fees.

The introduction of user fees had a negative impact on the utilization of cervical cancer screening facilities. Eradicating user fee and improving the socioeconomic status of patients may improve the utilization of screening services.