Why Thai women do not have cervical carcinoma screening test?

Abstract

Background: Although modern Thai women have more education and knowledge, from variety sources of information including cervical cancer prevention, cervical cancer screening coverage rate in them is still low at only 5%. Therefore, limitation of their knowledge should not be the cause. Authors did this study to examine all the causes remained after extensive health education given.

Objective: To examine reasons why Thai women still do not have Pap smear after extensive health education was provided

Method: We have examined reasons that might be the causes of Pap smear lack after periodically educating 200 women, aged 35-60 years-old, in an inner city community for at least twice within 1 year and asking the ones who still did not have Pap smear at 8-12 months for their reasons.

Design: Interventional cohort by health education and descriptive study for their reasons of Pap smear lack

Setting: Samliem inner city community, Khon Kaen, Thailand

Result: At 8-12 months after extensive health education for at least twice, 63% (126/200) of educated women still did not have Pap smear. The reasons were as follows; busy (67.5%), embarrassment (32.5%) and no symptom (20.6%).

Conclusion: Thai inner city women are too busy to have Pap smears. Embarrassment is the second reason. Screening-based cervical cancer prevention programme still needs other supporting strategies to build up an occasion for them.