title: Missed opportunities for health education on Pap smears in Peru.
abstract: Despite cervical cancer being one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Peru, cervical Pap smear coverage is low. This article uses findings from 185 direct clinician observations in four cities of Peru (representing the capital and each of the three main geographic regions of the country) to assess missed opportunities for health education on Pap smears and other preventive women's health behaviors during women's visits to a health care provider. Various types of health establishments, provider settings, and provider types were observed. Opportunities for patient education on the importance of prevention were rarely exploited. In fact, health education provided was minimal. Policy and programmatic implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nussbaum
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Paz-Soldan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019370:Observation; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010568:Peru; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult