title: The blame game: cervical cancer, knowledge of its link to human papillomavirus and stigma.
abstract: This two-study paper examined stigma toward women with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection (STI). For Study 1, participants (N = 352) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they read a brief description of a patient with either cervical or ovarian cancer in which the cause of the patient's cancer was either specified (cervical: HPV, a STI vs. ovarian: family history) or unspecified. Participants in the cervical cancer/cause-specified condition rated the patient as more dirty, dishonest and unwise, and reported feeling more moral disgust and 'grossed out' than participants in the cervical cancer/cause-unspecified condition. For Study 2, participants (N = 126) were randomly assigned to read a vignette about a patient with cervical cancer in which the cause of cancer was either specified or unspecified. Consistent with Study 1, participants in the cause-specified condition rated the patient as more unwise, and reported feeling more moral disgust and 'grossed out' than participants in the cause-unspecified condition. These effects were mediated by attributions of blame toward the patient. Findings suggest that women with cervical cancer may be stigmatised and blame may play a role in this process.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Florida State University , Tallahassee , FL , USA.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gerend
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D013240:Stereotyping; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology*; D055815:Young Adult