Volume 29, Issue 2: April, 2002

Abstract

IMPROVING ADHERENCE TO REGULAR PAP SMEAR SCREENING AMONG ASIAN WOMEN: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY IN SINGAPORE

Jeannette Lee, MBBS, FRACGP, Adeline Seow, MBBS, MMed, Sing MFPHM UK, Sing-Lin Ling, MBBS, MSc Sing, HP, and Lee Hin Peng, MBBS, MSc, FFPHM

This study addresses the issue of adherence to regular screening for cervical cancer in Asian women and factors that would promote this. A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out among 726 women (30-59 years) in Singapore. Although the overall screening prevalence was 62.4%, only 42% reported having regular smears. Women in the irregular group were more likely to have a Pap smear as part of postnatal or family planning visits, whereas the primary reason for attendance among the regular group was likely to be screening or a health checkup. Chief barriers to regular screening were low perceived susceptibility (46.5%) and low accessibility (37.1%). One third of women who have ever had a smear do not return for regular screening. Appropriate windows of opportunity in contact between women and the health care services should be used to convey the importance of adherence to screening.