Cold tongs: experiences and perceptions of the barriers to cervical screening for six young New Zealand women

Abstract

Cervical screening is a procedure that detects cellular changes in the cervix. It is recommended that all women in New Zealand between the ages of 20 and 70 years, who have been sexually active and have a cervix, be routinely screened for cervical cancer by having a cervical smear. With the introduction of cervical screening programmes, the incidence of cervical cancer and the number of fatalities have declined immensely. However, despite the fact that 90% of cervical cancers can be prevented by regular screening, many women are not regularly screened and New Zealand women are no exception. Younger women are more likely to be diagnosed with high grade cervical abnormalities than older women so it is important that they participate in cervical screening. It is therefore paramount that smear-takers examine the screening experience from the consumers' perspective to understand any barriers they might perceive to participating to improve the screening service where necessary. This study utilises an exploratory descriptive qualitative design to explore young women's experiences and perceptions of barriers to cervical screening. Six women aged 20-29 who do not regularly attend a cervical screening programme participated in the study. Analysis of the transcripts of semi-structured interviews identified three significant themes in these young women's experiences and perceptions. These themes were acknowledging avoidance and inertia, feeling apprehensive and feeling uninformed. These themes encompass barriers to participation in cervical screening as perceived or experienced by these young women. Some barriers are similar across age groups but some were unique to this group of young women. Most barriers for this group of women could be addressed or at least dramatically improved by the skill of the smear-taker. These findings can assist smear-takers, in particular practice nurses, to improve cervical screening for young New Zealand women.