Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative study
BackgroundCervical cancer is a major public health problem in low-income countries, including Ethiopia. Various pieces of evidence show that the uptake of cervical cancer screening is low in Ethiopia. The reasons for this low uptake of cervical cancer screening have not been well documented.Objectiv...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Oncology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1456804/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849708758418063360 |
|---|---|
| author | Ebrahim Mohammed Mirgissa Kaba Girma Taye Mathewos Assefa Ahmedin Jemal Adamu Addissie |
| author_facet | Ebrahim Mohammed Mirgissa Kaba Girma Taye Mathewos Assefa Ahmedin Jemal Adamu Addissie |
| author_sort | Ebrahim Mohammed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundCervical cancer is a major public health problem in low-income countries, including Ethiopia. Various pieces of evidence show that the uptake of cervical cancer screening is low in Ethiopia. The reasons for this low uptake of cervical cancer screening have not been well documented.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore the reasons for not taking up cervical cancer screening and gather the perspectives of women and healthcare providers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsAdult women and healthcare providers participated in the study. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted with women from the community. A total of 18 key Informant interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals who providing cervical cancer screening services and family health team leaders. Interviews and discussions were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded. We used MAXQDA software v.20 for data reduction to facilitate thematic analysis and interpretation.ResultsEleven focus group discussions and 18 key informant interviews were conducted. In this study, individual-level barriers, such as low knowledge of cervical cancer and screening, feeling healthy, fear of the screening procedure and results, fear of not being cured, fear of divorce, stigma and discrimination, preference for female healthcare providers, and spousal disapproval or resistance, were identified as the main reasons for the low uptake of screening. Community-level barriers such as perceiving cervical cancer as a deadly disease; misconceptions, such as screening causing infertility, and the absence of open discussion, were also found to contribute to low screening uptake.Conclusion and recommendationsKnowledge about cervical cancer and screening was found to be inadequate. Individual and community-level socio-cultural barriers were identified as reasons for the low uptake of screening. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct behavioral change and communication activities at both the individual and community levels to increase knowledge of cervical cancer and screening, reduce sociocultural barriers, and improve the uptake of cervical cancer screening. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2f2fd2df5de74f84a456a52ce98cdc09 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2234-943X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Oncology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2f2fd2df5de74f84a456a52ce98cdc092025-08-20T03:15:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2025-04-011510.3389/fonc.2025.14568041456804Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative studyEbrahim Mohammed0Mirgissa Kaba1Girma Taye2Mathewos Assefa3Ahmedin Jemal4Adamu Addissie5Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Oncology, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaSurveillance & Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, United StatesDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaBackgroundCervical cancer is a major public health problem in low-income countries, including Ethiopia. Various pieces of evidence show that the uptake of cervical cancer screening is low in Ethiopia. The reasons for this low uptake of cervical cancer screening have not been well documented.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore the reasons for not taking up cervical cancer screening and gather the perspectives of women and healthcare providers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsAdult women and healthcare providers participated in the study. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted with women from the community. A total of 18 key Informant interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals who providing cervical cancer screening services and family health team leaders. Interviews and discussions were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded. We used MAXQDA software v.20 for data reduction to facilitate thematic analysis and interpretation.ResultsEleven focus group discussions and 18 key informant interviews were conducted. In this study, individual-level barriers, such as low knowledge of cervical cancer and screening, feeling healthy, fear of the screening procedure and results, fear of not being cured, fear of divorce, stigma and discrimination, preference for female healthcare providers, and spousal disapproval or resistance, were identified as the main reasons for the low uptake of screening. Community-level barriers such as perceiving cervical cancer as a deadly disease; misconceptions, such as screening causing infertility, and the absence of open discussion, were also found to contribute to low screening uptake.Conclusion and recommendationsKnowledge about cervical cancer and screening was found to be inadequate. Individual and community-level socio-cultural barriers were identified as reasons for the low uptake of screening. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct behavioral change and communication activities at both the individual and community levels to increase knowledge of cervical cancer and screening, reduce sociocultural barriers, and improve the uptake of cervical cancer screening.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1456804/fullcervical cancercervical cancer screeningperspectives on cervical cancerwomenhealthcare providers |
| spellingShingle | Ebrahim Mohammed Mirgissa Kaba Girma Taye Mathewos Assefa Ahmedin Jemal Adamu Addissie Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative study Frontiers in Oncology cervical cancer cervical cancer screening perspectives on cervical cancer women healthcare providers |
| title | Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening: perspectives from women and health care providers in Addis Ababa: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening perspectives from women and health care providers in addis ababa a qualitative study |
| topic | cervical cancer cervical cancer screening perspectives on cervical cancer women healthcare providers |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1456804/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ebrahimmohammed reasonsfornotundergoingcervicalcancerscreeningperspectivesfromwomenandhealthcareprovidersinaddisababaaqualitativestudy AT mirgissakaba reasonsfornotundergoingcervicalcancerscreeningperspectivesfromwomenandhealthcareprovidersinaddisababaaqualitativestudy AT girmataye reasonsfornotundergoingcervicalcancerscreeningperspectivesfromwomenandhealthcareprovidersinaddisababaaqualitativestudy AT mathewosassefa reasonsfornotundergoingcervicalcancerscreeningperspectivesfromwomenandhealthcareprovidersinaddisababaaqualitativestudy AT ahmedinjemal reasonsfornotundergoingcervicalcancerscreeningperspectivesfromwomenandhealthcareprovidersinaddisababaaqualitativestudy AT adamuaddissie reasonsfornotundergoingcervicalcancerscreeningperspectivesfromwomenandhealthcareprovidersinaddisababaaqualitativestudy |