Papanicolaou test status among inner-city adolescent girls.
BACKGROUND
The English medical literature for the past decade lacks any reports on Papanicolaou (Pap) test status among inner-city adolescent girls. Our objectives were (1) to assess the pattern of Pap test status among inner-city adolescent girls and (2) to ascertain the association of the Pap test status with their knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors.


METHODS
All 3,980 inner-city senior high school adolescent female students in two cities in New Jersey were included in the survey. Response rate was 84%; 89% of respondents were minority adolescents.


RESULTS
The factors that significantly increased the probability of obtaining a Pap smear were physician recommendation for Pap test, being knowledgeable of Pap test, awareness that other family members had obtained Pap tests, family income and parents' education levels. The age of initiation of first Pap test almost always was before 18 years of age; 13% of sexually active girls were smokers. The major barriers for never having had a Pap test were lack of physician's recommendation, ignorance about the Pap test, cost of the test, lack of information on how and where to obtain it, belief that they were not at risk for cancer, and embarrassment over requesting the test.


CONCLUSIONS
Inner-city predominantly minority adolescent girls who have considerable sexual activity, multiple sex partners, initiation of intercourse at an early age, and smoking are at high risk for cervical cancer. It makes sense to initiate Pap screening for such high-risk adolescents. Individualized Pap test educational intervention programs adopted to the adolescents' barriers to undergoing Pap testing and physicians' recommendations for this preventive care are needed to encourage high-risk adolescent girls to undergo regular Pap tests and appropriate follow-up.
Najem
G R
GR
Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103-2714, USA.
Batuman
F
F
Smith
A M
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D009515:New Jersey; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*