The association between cervical abnormalities and attitudes toward cervical cancer prevention.
BACKGROUND
We investigated whether a history of cervical abnormalities predicts responses to cervical cancer prevention for women and their daughters.


METHODS
In 2007, we interviewed 832 mothers of adolescent daughters from North Carolina counties with elevated rates of cervical cancer. We measured the association of experiences with cervical abnormalities and emotions, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to cervical cancer and its prevention.


RESULTS
Anxiety about cervical cancer was higher among women who had cervical cancer, hysterectomies, and abnormal Pap test results (including false positives) than in women who had experienced none of these (each p < 0.05). Pap tests were perceived as being more effective at reducing the chance of developing cervical cancer by women with a history of cancer and women who reported hysterectomies relative to women with normal Pap results (each p < 0.05). Intentions to vaccinate their daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV) were highest among women who had cervical cancer, women who had hysterectomies, and women who were treated for precancerous lesions (each p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Women with histories of cervical health abnormalities reported more favorable views of Pap testing and HPV vaccination than women who had received only normal Pap testing results. They also reported higher levels of anxiety about cervical cancer.
Salz
Talya
T
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA. salzt@mskcc.org
Gottlieb
Sami L
SL
Smith
Jennifer S
JS
Brewer
Noel T
NT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003127:Colposcopy; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D009657:North Carolina; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines