Perceptions of women concerning preventive examination of uterine cervical câncer

Objective: To understand the perception of women that will undergo the preventive examinationof uterine cervical cancer. Methods: It was an exploratory-descriptive study. The sample was comprised by 25 women in the age group from 18 to 59 years, users of the Mother-Child Health Center in Barbalha-CE-Brazil. Data collection happened between May and June 2009 using semi-structured interviews with the following guiding questions: What do you know about the purpose of the preventive examination of uterine cervical cancer? What made you seek the health unit to perform this examination? What do you feel when you undergo the examination? Data were analyzed based on the subjects’ speeches categorization, and later discussed according to the literature concerning the subject. Results: The investigation showed that the subjects understand the preventive examination with a healing perspective, since most seek the service facing some symptoms; shame and fear are the main expressed feelings concerning the examination. These factors can contribute to the non adherence to Pap test. Conclusion: The women interviewed showed to have superficial and often wrong knowledge on the examination of cervical cancer. This reveals the need for re-orientation of health services focusing on health promotion, providing the users knowledge and awareness to act as jointly responsible for their health, by adhering to the examination and probably reducing the number of cases of uterine cervical cancer

Percepções das mulheres acerca do exame de prevenção do câncer cérvico-uterino - doi:10.5020/18061230.2010.p118

Objective: To understand the perception of women that will undergo the preventive examination of uterine cervical cancer. Methods: It was an exploratory-descriptive study. The sample was comprised by 25 women in the age group from 18 to 59 years, users of the Mother-Child Health Center in Barbalha-CE-Brazil. Data collection happened between May and June 2009 using semi-structured interviews with the following guiding questions: What do you know about the purpose of the preventive examination of uterine cervical cancer? What made you seek the health unit to perform this examination? What do you feel when you undergo the examination? Data were analyzed based on the subjects’ speeches categorization, and later discussed according to the literature concerning the subject. Results: The investigation showed that the subjects understand the preventive examination with a healing perspective, since most seek the service facing some symptoms; shame and fear are the main expressed feelings concerning the examination. These factors can contribute to the non adherence to Pap test. Conclusion: The women interviewed showed to have superficial and often wrong knowledge on the examination of cervical cancer. This reveals the need for re-orientation of health services focusing on health promotion, providing the users knowledge and awareness to act as jointly responsible for their health, by adhering to the examination and probably reducing the number of cases of uterine cervical cancer.Objetivo: Compreender a percepção das mulheres que irão se submeter ao exame preventivo do câncer cérvico-uterino. Metodologia: Tratou-se de um estudo exploratóriodescritivo. A amostra foi composta por 25 mulheres pertencentes à faixa etária de 18 a 59 anos, usuárias da Unidade de Atenção Primária na região sul do estado do Ceará – Brasil. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre maio e junho de 2009, mediante a utilização de entrevistas semiestruturadas, contendo as seguintes questões norteadoras: o que você sabe sobre a finalidade do exame preventivo do câncer cérvico-uterino? O que levou você a procurar a unidade para realização desse exame? O que você sente quando decide submeter-se ao exame? Os dados foram analisados a partir da categorização dos discursos dos sujeitos, e em seguida discutidos à luz da literatura referente ao assunto. Resultados: A investigação apontou que as sujeitas percebem o exame de prevenção sob uma ótica curativa, já que a maioria procura o serviço mediante alguma sintomatologia; a vergonha e o medo são os principais sentimentos verbalizados quanto ao exame. Esses fatores podem contribuir para a não adesão ao citopatológico. Conclusão: As mulheres entrevistadas demonstraram que detém conhecimentos superficiais e muitas vezes equivocados sobre o exame de prevenção do câncer ginecológico. Isso revela a necessidade de reorientação dos serviços de saúde com foco na promoção da saúde, proporcionando às usuárias conhecimento e sensibilização para atuarem como corresponsáveis da sua saúde, aderindo ao exame e, provavelmente, reduzindo o número de casos de câncer de colo de útero