Knowledge and beliefs regarding cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination among urban and rural women in Leon, Nicaragua.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:In Nicaragua, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death for women ages 15-44, yet access to the HPV vaccine is limited to those with financial resources to pay for it. Cervical cytology is provided free of charge in public clinics; however, only 10% of women receive Pap smears at the nationally recommended frequency. Previous studies have not investigated how beliefs regarding cervical cancer screening may differ for urban and rural populations in Nicaragua. Furthermore, no investigation has assessed Nicaraguan women's beliefs about a potential HPV immunization campaign. Given beliefs' influence on health behavior, we investigated the structural, sociocultural, and knowledge-based factors influencing women's beliefs regarding cervical cancer screening among ur

SUBMITTER: Rees HD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5660604 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature