ASPO Abstracts
So When Should We Be Screened? Knowledge of Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines among Low-Income Women in New Jersey
Category: Behavioral Science & Health Communication
Conference Year: 2019
Abstract Body:
Cervical cancer screening guidelines vary across agencies and have changed over the past 6 years. The recent guidelines suggest that Pap testing should begin at age 21. Women 21-29 years old should be tested every 3 years, women 30-65 years old every 5 years, and that women age 65 years and older, or those who have had a hysterectomy and their cervix removed can stop screening. We sought to examine knowledge of cervical cancer screening guidelines among low-income women in New Jersey. On average, participants believed that women should get their first Pap test at 19.3 years (SD + 5.8, range 12-45 years). Black women tended to believed that Pap testing should begin at younger ages (17.8 + 4.3) than Hispanic women (20.3 + 6.5, p <.05). 26.7% of participants believed women should be screened every 6 months and 66.8% believed that women should screened annually. When asked if there is an age at which women no longer need a Pap test, 71.5% responded no, but of those who believed there was an age where testing could stop, the average response was 69.4 (+ 14.3) years of age. A majority (55.3%) of participants believed that women should continue to receive a Pap test after having a hysterectomy and 25.9% were unsure. Responses did not differ by age (<21, 21-29, 30-65, 65+ years). Overall, our findings suggest that there is a need to improve education about Pap testing among low income women.
Keywords: Cervical CancerScreening Guidelines