title: Understanding the role of violence in incarcerated women's cervical cancer screening and history.
abstract: In this exploratory study the authors investigated characteristics, including reported experiences of violence, related to incarcerated women's self-report of cervical cancer screening and cancer history and treatment. During a four month period in 2010, 204 women in Kansas City jails were surveyed. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the relations of socio-demographic and community characteristics and history of violence among the women to their cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment histories. Forty percent of the women in the current sample reported abnormal Pap histories, though only 6% of all Pap smears done in the U.S. are abnormal. Women who reported abuse histories in this study were found to be more likely to report having ever had an abnormal Pap smear (for physical abuse Odds Ratio [OR] = 6.05; CI 2.36, 15.54 and for past year intimate partner violence OR = 2.41; CI 1.09, 5.31). Participants who did not fear neighborhood violence were less likely to report an abnormal Pap history (OR = 0.57; CI 0.34, 0.96) and more likely to visit a family doctor for their Pap screenings (OR = 1.91; CI 1.01, 3.60). Women who perceived greater neighborhood violence had increased odds of reporting that they received Pap screenings in a hospital setting (OR = 1.47; CI 1.08, 2.00). Frequency of Pap screening did not differ in women who did and did not have fear of neighborhood violence. This study highlights the heightened cervical cancer risk experienced by women with criminal justice histories and suggests that violence at several levels has implications for cervical cancer prevention for these women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health , University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, USA. mramaswamy@kumc.edu
authors.forename: Megha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramaswamy
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koblitz
authors.forename: Kim S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kimminau
authors.forename: Kimberly K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Engelman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057237:Criminals; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007615:Kansas; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011329:Prisoners; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D014754:Violence; D055815:Young Adult