T claim by Eduardo Franco and colleagues that “nearly half of specimens [cervical smears] yield falsenegative results” is misleading, as are several of their claims regarding the value of liquid-based and automated cytology. Most studies quote a falsenegative rate of approximately 1–5%. Any laboratory with a 50% falsenegative rate would be shut down. Liquid-based preparations are not free of dr...

OBJECTIVE To explore qualitatively adolescent girls' understanding of Papanicolaou smears and barriers to compliance with Papanicolaou smear follow-up appointments. DESIGN Qualitative analysis, using 3 focus groups and 15 in-depth, semistructured individual interviews. SETTING Adolescent Clinic and Young Parents' Program at Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Beliefs ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the factors that increase the chances of a woman in Accra having a Pap smear and whether women who have recently visited clinics have higher chances of having had Pap smears. DESIGN A cross-sectional study METHODS A representative sample of women in Accra, Ghana was interviewed and the clinical and demographic factors influencing cervical cancer screening was assessed...

Cervical cancer is the third most common form of cancer that strikes Malaysian women. The National Cancer Registry in 2006 and 2007 reported that the age standardized incidence (ASR) of cervical cancer was 12.2 and 7.8 per 100,000 women, respectively. The cumulative risk of developing cervical cancer for a Malaysian woman is 0.9 for 74 years. Among all ethnic groups, the Chinese experienced the...

UNLABELLED Background Research in the US and UK shows that lesbian women are less likely than their heterosexual peers to attend for routine Pap smear tests. This study examined Pap smear test rates among community-attached lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women in New South Wales (NSW), to investigate if rates had changed between 2002 and 2012, compare rates to the general NSW population and ...

316 APRIL 2004 / VOL 53, NO 4 · The Journal of Family Practice 5. Nanda K, McCrory DC, Myers ER, et al. Accuracy of the Papanicolaou test in screening for and follow-up of cervical cytologic abnormalities: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med 2000; 132:810–819. 6. Montz FJ, Farber FL, Bristow RE, et al. Impact of increasing Papanicolaou test sensitivity and compliance: a modeled cost and outcome...

UNLABELLED Organized introduction of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can reduce the burden of cervical cancer in developing countries. One of the most effective ways is through a national school-based program. Information on teachers is therefore important since this group may have a disproportionate influence in the success of any implementation. OBJECTIVE To assess teach...

OBJECTIVES To identify changes in the social gradients for Pap smears and mammograms in Argentina. STUDY DESIGN Secondary analysis of the 2005 and 2009 Argentine National Risk Factor Surveys. METHODS Logistic regression analysis was used to examine social gradients by income and education, adjusting for age and health insurance. RESULTS The proportion of women who received a Pap smear in ...