title: Interventions to improve cervical cancer screening uptake amongst young women: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In view of declining screening uptake in young women, this review aims to summarise the available evidence relating to interventions designed to increase cervical screening uptake amongst women aged ≤ 35 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic databases were searched and further articles located by manual searches. Study designs employing a valid comparison group and including women aged ≤ 35 years published through 2012 were considered. Data was extracted on the uptake from either screening programme statistics or as reported by the study subjects. A narrative synthesis was undertaken for each category of interventions identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-two records were screened with 36 articles retrieved for further assessment. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, two of which evaluated more than one intervention. One of the studies evaluated the use of a modified invitation letter and reported no significant increase in uptake compared to a standard invitation. Three studies investigated the use of a reminder letter, with two reporting a positive effect on screening uptake in women aged 24-34. Three studies were included which supported the use of physician and telephone reminders. One study on HPV self-sampling reported a positive effect when compared with a reminder letter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a lack of randomised controlled trials designed to specifically address falling cervical screening uptake in amongst young women. Cervical screening programmes need to look beyond the use of invitation/reminders letters in this group of women to develop interventions which attempt to overcome as many barriers to uptake as possible.
authors.affiliation: School of Cancer and Enabling Sciences, The University of Manchester , Manchester , UK.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albrow
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blomberg
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitchener
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brabin
authors.forename: Julietta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patnick
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tishelman
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Törnberg
authors.forename: Pär
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sparén
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Widmark
mesh_terms: D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*