Post-reproductive aged women: a lost generation in the cervical cancer screening programme
The aims of the study were to find out why some post-reproductive aged women did not participate in the organised cervical cancer screening programme in Latvia and to clarify factors that would motivate them to take part. A cross-sectional study was carried out between January and July 2017 among female patients in three general practitioner (GP) practices. GP practice nurses used the Latvian national health service database to identify women aged 25–70 who had not participated in the organised programme for the last 3 years. Participants were asked to complete a specially developed questionnaire. The results were then compared between three age groups: 25–34, 35–49 and 50–70 years. Include…
Barriers and motivators for uptake of cervical cancer prevention strategies in Eastern Europe: Perspective from Latvia
Introduction The incidence of cervical cancer (CC) in eastern European countries is high; however, uptake of available prevention strategies is suboptimal. We explored knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes toward CC prevention strategies in Latvian women. Methods A mixed-methods study of Latvian women, consisting of surveys and semi-structured interviews, was conducted in Riga, Latvia in September and October 2015. Results Altogether, 158 surveys were completed and 10 interviews were conducted. In total, 87% (n = 135) had previously had a smear test, and 67% (n = 105) correctly identified that cervical cytology was performed to identify precancerous changes. The practice of annual gynecologic…