Cervical cancer prevention behaviors in young Black women

In the United States, Black women have the second highest incidence of cervical cancer (CC) due to high incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV), slow HPV clearance rates, and low receipt of preventive pap smears and vaccines.

A Black Feminist Thought framework was used to examine how the media portrayal of Black women, racial identity, and familial factors impact CC prevention behaviors among young Black women.

Black women enrolled at a large southeastern university consented and participated in an online mixed-methods survey examining facilitators and barriers to CC prevention behaviors. Quantitative items were analyzed via descriptive statistics, and qualitative items were thematically evaluated using an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Black undergraduate women completed an online survey that collected quantitative data on demographic information, CC knowledge, perceived eHealth literacy, and CC prevention behaviors. Participants also responded to seven qualitative items that explored how the media portrayal of Black women, racial identity, and familial factors impact their CC prevention behaviors.

Participants (N = 146) were Black college women aged 18-26 who primarily identified as cisgender, non-Hispanic/Latine/x, and heterosexual. Most participants self-reported as having high e-Health literacy (78.1%, n = 114) but demonstrated inadequate CC knowledge (90.3%, n = 131). All age-eligible participants received pap smears within their lifetime (n = 6), and most received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine (77.5%, n = 86), with the majority reporting series completion. Qualitative findings highlighted participants experiences of oppression co-existed with self-advocacy, primarily in medical settings.

Results provide insight for culturally tailored interventions in care settings serving young Black women that may encourage preventive care to reduce the prevalence of CC in later adulthood.