Barriers to the uptake of cervical cancer screening methods in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) - a scoping review using framework thematic analysis.

What was studied

This scoping review looked at barriers to cervical cancer screening. It focused on women in low- and middle-income countries. Screening works, but uptake stays low. Earlier reviews missed social, cultural and behavior barriers. The search covered studies from January 2014 to December 2022, in MEDLINE and Embase. They used qualitative studies on barriers and helps. Data were coded with the Theoretical Domains Framework. Themes were also built from the data.

What they found

17 studies were included. Key barrier domains were emotions, social roles, social influences, beliefs about consequences and knowledge. Women held cultural values that mattered deeply to them. These were closely tied to health education. Clashes between staff views and women's values added to mistrust of the health system. Lack of awareness and wrong ideas about causes were common, mainly in rural areas. Stigma, social norms and gender inequality added to reluctance. Fear of procedures and distrust of providers deepened the problem.

What it means for patients

The authors say deep cultural, social and trust barriers shape screening uptake.

Why it is not certain yet

The search used MEDLINE and Embase only, and ended in 2022. A scoping review maps themes. It does not measure how big each barrier is.

Source

Barriers to the uptake of cervical cancer screening methods in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) - a scoping review using framework thematic analysis.

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