title: Some aspects of cervical screening in southern New Zealand; the situation before implementation of the national cervical cancer prevention programme.
abstract: To gain some idea of cervical screening in Otago and Southland (two southern provinces of New Zealand), before the implementation of a national cervical cancer prevention programme, a questionnaire was sent to all doctors identified as smear takers. Questionnaires were returned by 75% of the doctors. Only 53.8% of practice nurses were involved in taking smears. Well Women Clinics staffed by nurses were not widespread in either province. Just under half (46.4%) of doctors took cervical smears as part of a health check programme. Sixty-three per cent (63.3%) routinely performed a pelvic examination when taking a smear. Surprisingly few doctors were familiar with the technique of placing spatula and cytobrush samples on one slide, a manoeuvre which could significantly reduce the workload of the cytology laboratories. Only a minority of doctors were aware of a new sampler which can provide samples equivalent to combined spatular-cytobrush smears. There was confusion over the timing of a repeat smear following two normal ones. The recommended interval of 3 years was only complied with by 44.2% of doctors. However, 71.4% of respondents did remind women to have smears. The study indicates that many doctors already provide patients with a good cervical screening service, and this augers well for the national screening programme.
authors: Department of Pathology, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: A R
authors: AR
authors: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D009313:National Health Programs; D009520:New Zealand; D009726:Nurses; D010820:Physicians; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears