A study of the Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (ISPUP) reveals that there was an increase in the number of women who perform cervical cancer screening in Portugal. The same research shows, however, that a considerable percentage of women have never had the test and, among those who have, not all follow the European recommendations regarding the time interval in which they should undergo a new examination.
The study was published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research and intended to “describe the use of cervical cancer screening in Portugal and identify the factors associated with non-use or underuse of the test,” explains Bárbara Peleteiro, the research coordinator.
Data from 5884 women, aged 25-64 years (age group for whom screening is recommended) were analyzed, who responded to the 2014 National Health Survey.
We found that the vast majority of women (87%) underwent screening for cervical cancer and that the use of the test increased by about 10% compared to the data obtained in the 2005/2006 National Health Survey. Still, about 13% of women have never been screened, and among those who have, 12% did not follow the European recommendations regarding the frequency of the exam.
The researchers observed asymmetries in screening use, according to the various regions of the country. Northern Portugal was the area where the highest percentages of adherence to screening were recorded, while Alentejo, Algarve and the Autonomous Regions were those with the highest levels of non-compliance.
When tracing the sociodemographic profile of (non) users, we see that the non-use of screening is superior in women who are single, who belong to a lower socioeconomic status and who adopt less healthy lifestyles (such as alcohol, consumption of tobacco, etc.). Those with a higher educational level, higher incomes and more frequently use health services adhere more to screening.
According to Bárbara Peleteiro, “In recent years, we have been able to increase the number of people screening, which is a good thing. However, when we analyze the sociodemographic characteristics that explain non-adherence, we see that they remain the same as 10 years ago. That means we got more women getting screened, but not the women who did not take the test before”.
Research shows that although there is a screening program for cervical cancer organized in various regions of the country, there are still regional differences in the use of the test. Women who live in poorer regions and who have less healthy lifestyles adhere less to screening, so “it is important to think of strategies that help motivate this population to use the organized screening program“, concludes the ISPUP researcher.
It should be noted that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, accounting for 7.5% of all cancer deaths worldwide. Understanding the patterns of use of screening for cervical cancer is critical to improving its control and prevention.
The study entitled Cervical cytology use in Portugal: Results from the National Health Survey 2014 was developed within the Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit) of ISPUP. The researchers Londa Rukhadze and Nuno Lunet also participated in the study.
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