Patient perspectives on cervical cancer screening interventions among underscreened women

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gynecology
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Cervical cancer is preventable through regular screening, yet over 4,000 US women die annually.
• Insufficient screening contributes to over half of new cervical cancer cases in the US.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine barriers to cervical cancer screening among low-income women.
• To assess perspectives on interventions to reduce these barriers, including HPV self-collection.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews with 23 low-income, uninsured, or Medicaid-insured women in North Carolina.
• Exploration of barriers and feedback on proposed interventions: education, cost reduction, and HPV self-collection.

Main Results:

• Key barriers include cost, inconvenient clinic hours, lack of provider recommendation, transportation, and fear.
• HPV self-collection was the most favored intervention (n=11), followed by cost reduction (n=7) and education (n=5).

Conclusions:

• Cost is a primary barrier, but women face multiple simultaneous obstacles.
• HPV self-collection may reduce some barriers, but comprehensive interventions addressing multiple barriers are needed for effective cervical cancer prevention.