By Dr Mairead O’Connor, Research Officer, National Screening Service
We’ve completed research among women aged 50 and older in Ireland to understand the reasons why some women may not take part in cervical screening.
Why we did the research
CervicalCheck data shows cervical screening uptake decreases with age – above the age of 50. Women aged 50 to 64 years who get screened regularly are at low risk of cervical cancer up to the age of 84. However, women who have not been screened at ages 50 to 64 years are at higher risk of developing cervical cancer. This study aimed to understand why older women may or may not take part in cervical screening and the factors that influence their decisions.
How we did it
We surveyed a sample of women aged 50 and older from the CervicalCheck register. Women were sampled by their screening history:
- Adequately screened: women who had at least two cervical screening tests previously, including one within the last five and a half years.
- Inadequately screened: women who had never been screened or whose last screening was more than five and a half years ago.
954 women completed the survey.
What we found
- Women with inadequate screening histories were generally older. They were also less likely to have children.
- Ease of making an appointment was associated with attending for screening, as was having a previous good experience at screening, and talking about it with a GP or nurse.
Conclusion
These preliminary findings indicate that women with inadequate screening histories may find arranging an appointment more difficult. They are also less likely to have discussed cervical screening with their GP or nurse.
A more detailed analysis of the study is underway and will be published at a later date.
- This study was conducted by CERVIVA in partnership with CervicalCheck and funded by the Health Research Board (Applied Partnership Awards) and the National Screening Service.
- A poster of this study was presented by Dr Mairead O’Connor, Research Officer, National Screening Service at the 36th International Papillomavirus Conference in Edinburgh in November 2024.