title: Pap smear screening in the primary health care setting: A study from Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer is one of the ten most frequent cancers in Turkey. It is well known that cervical cancer morbidity and mortality could be significantly reduced with an active cervical smear screening (Pap smear) program.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  THE AIMS OF THIS STUDY WERE: 1) to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of women about cervical smear testing; 2) to establish a cervical smear screening program and to evaluate the cervical cytological abnormalities that were found; 3) to determine the applicability, limitations and effectiveness of this screening in a primary health care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 332 married women were included in our study. We collected data concerning socio-demographic and fertility characteristics, and knowledge about Pap smear testing was determined through printed questionnaires. A gynecological examination and Pap smear screening was performed on every woman in our study group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over ninety percent of our study group had never heard of and had not undergone Pap smear screening before. Of the 332 smears evaluated, 328 (98.8%) were accepted as normal, whereas epithelial cell anomalies were seen in 4 (1.2%), infection in 59 (17.7%), and reactive cell differences in 223 (67.2%) of the smears.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of epithelial cell anomalies in our study group was less than the frequencies reported from Western countries. Knowledge regarding cervical cancer and Pap smear screening was very low. Pap smears can be easily taken and evaluated through a chain built between the primary health care unit and laboratory, and this kind of screening intervention is easily accepted by the population served.
authors.affiliation: Uludag University, Department of Family Medicine, Bursa, Republic of Turkey.
authors.forename: Hande Celik
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Mehmetoglu
authors.forename: Ganime
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sadikoglu
authors.forename: Alis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozcakir
authors.forename: Nazan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bilgel