¿por qué las mujeres no se toman el papanicolaou? Respuestas entregadas por los profesionales del programa cáncer cervicouterino - AUGE del servicio de salud metropolitano sur oriente

Background: Benefits of screening programs using Papanicolaou test (Pap test) reducing cervical cancer related mortality has been documented worldwide and at national level, in Chile. However, there are women who do not have a Pap test routinely. Objective: To know the perception of health care providers about the reasons why some women do not have a Pap smear. Method: Cross sectional study with a sample of 59 health care providers from the Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Sur-Oriente in Santiago, Chile; representing all the three different levels of care of the national health program called AUGE. Results: Health care providers were in average 39 ± 10 years old, with an average of 7.7 ± 7 years working in the health service. A 41 % of the health care providers have the perception that women had a partial knowledge about the importance of having a Pap smear; while a 48.3% of them refer that women do not have knowledge related to the Pap smear guidelines. Lack of knowledge, fear, neglect by women, and lack of time emerged as the principal reasons why women do not have a Pap smear based on health care provider's perception. Conclusions: The results from this research can help in designing and/or actualizing educative contents for women with the objective of increase the level of knowledge and the awareness about the importance in have a Pap smear.