¿por qué las mujeres no se toman el papanicolau? Barreras percibidas por un grupo de mujeres ingre-sadas al programa de cáncer cervicouterino auge

Background: At the beginning of the 70s, the exam of cervical cytology was introduced in Chile. The adherence to this exam has demonstrated its utility for the opportune search of the pathology and mortality decrease. Objective: To examine perceptions about the Papanicolau (PAP) test from the perspectives of Chilean women with premalignant lesions. Method: Descriptive, qualitative, and cross-sectional study in a group of 237 women from AUGE program in the Southeast Metropolitan Public Health Service, Santiago, Chile. Results: The principal reasons for not having had a PAP test were procrastination; the problems related to the PAP test procedure like fear, embarrassment, discomfort, and lack of time; and lack of knowledge. Conclusion: All the reasons given by the Chilean women in this study have been described in the international literature. Health professionals are in a position to change the perspective that the women have, and therefore for increasing the education and cervical cancer screening for women. Results of this study can serve as a guide for education programs and can be applied in clinical practice.