Cancer screening in women

Research.
Realistic reasons could be more important than affecting ones in explaining why many women miss cervical cancer screenings,

Emotional factor.
It had been thought emotional factors - such as embarrassment or fear - were largely to blame for low take-up rates.

But a researcher found women who said they rarely or never voted in elections were more likely to be overdue for screening.
And researchers say the women could simply be too busy for either activity.

The team of Cancer Research found the association was strongest in women aged 26-44.
Cervical screening saves about 4,500 lives every year.
Researcher said: "With uptake of cervical screening still much lower than we would like, these findings suggest that overcoming practical barriers may be the most important factor in maximizing cervical screening uptake.

Result.
These results are hopeful. In the past, it was thought that emotional factors such as concern about embarrassment and pain were the best predictors. Minimizing practical difficulties is a more achievable goal.
"In terms of the correlation between voting and screening attendance, it may be that as both activities require a degree of organization, women who do not manage to vote because of busy lives may also be improbable to attend screening."

The researchers suggest that parents could have less time to attend screenings and priorities the needs of their children above their own.

researcher said: "We have been concerned for some time about falling acceptance rates for screening, particularly amongst certain groups in society, such as women under 35 and the over 55s.

"This study helps us understand what the issue might be and will be useful for us in addressing the issues."