Midwives' practices related to cervical cancer screening during pregnancy: A vignette-based study

To describe midwives' practices related to cervical cancer screening and women's eligibility for screening during pregnancy.

Cross-sectional vignette-based study of French midwives during February-May 2018.

Participants were asked to complete an internet-based questionnaire: a clinical case-vignette about a woman eligible for cervical cancer screening during pregnancy and a short self-administered questionnaire.

We obtained 273 complete questionnaires from eligible midwives. Of those responding, 15% reported that they never screened for cervical cancer during pregnancy, 63.7% did so for women 25 years or older, and 51% adhered to the recommended intervals between tests. Overall, 110 (40%) midwives adhered to the complete screening protocol (age at initiation and interval). In this clinical case vignette of a woman meeting the criteria for screening, only 29% of midwives reported they would perform a Pap test at 25 weeks of gestation, while 91% would at 10 weeks.

Midwives' practices of cervical cancer screening and their determination of women's eligibility during pregnancy vary, especially according to gestational age; Nevertheless, pregnancy is an appropriate time to screen women who meet the criteria for cervical cancer screening, especially if they are not receiving regular gynaecological care.