Factors associated with cervical cancer screening in women from middle and low socioeconomic status in Bogotá, Colombia

Objective: in Colombia, cervical cancer (cc) is the secondmost common type of cancer among women. It has an agestandardizedincidence of 21.5/100,000. The purpose of thisstudy was to examine the knowledge and perceived factorsassociated with CC screening among women from low mediumincome status in Bogotá, Colombia. Methodology: the studywas conducted with 10 focus groups segmented by age groups(18-33, 34-49, and 50-66). Two researchers conducted contentanalysis and identified the emerging categories. Results: thesample consisted of 81 women whose ages ranged from 18to 66. Early onset of sexual activity, promiscuity, vaginalinfections, hpv, genetics, abortions, and lack of hygienewere identified as the most important risk factors for cc.Participants recognized that this disease does not alwayshave symptoms, and that pap smears detect it early. However,they mentioned fear of undergoing a pap test, discomfort orpain, embarrassment, poor services, procrastination, and fearof a cancer diagnosis as the main barriers preventing regularscreening. Women recommended educational campaignsand improved customer service as strategies to motivatethem. Conclusion: participants reported basic knowledgeabout CC and screening. Actions to facilitate screening mustbe multifaceted and based on the barriers and facilitatorsmentioned by each age group.