Factors Affecting Cervical Screening Among Turkish Women

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Cervical cancer is second most common cancer among women worldwide. <br/><b>Objective</b>: Todeterminate pap smear test rates and affecting factors among Turkish women. <br/><b>Methods</b>: This descriptive andcross-sectional questionnaire study covered 397 women consulting at Gynecology Outpatient Clinic of Birth andChildren’s Hospital in Ordu province, enrolled non-consecutively as volunteers after providing informed consent.Data for women who had a history of at least one pap smear in her history were compared with those havingnone. <br/><b>Results</b>: 24.7% of women had knowledge about the pap smear test and 11.8% of them had undergoneat least one pap smear test. Higher mean age (p=0.000), high education level (p=0.013), duration of marriage(p=0.001), working outside home (p=0.000), use of contraceptive method (p=0.000), history of cancer in women’sfamily or relatives (p=0.021), having a sexually transmitted disease history (p=0.042), positive attitude towardsgynecologic examination of women (p=0.000) and considering oneself in a cervical cancer risk group (p=0.004)were positively associated with a pap smear test history. <br/><b>Conclusion</b>: Since the rate of pap smear testing wasvery low, education of women about screening and protection against cervical cancer appears a high priority.