Pap smear screening, pap smear abnormalities and psychosocial risk factors among women in a residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility.
OBJECTIVE
To compare rates of late- screening, abnormal Pap smears and prevalence of psychosocial factors for cervical cancer between women in the community and women attending a residential drug and alcohol facility.


BACKGROUND
Women with drug and alcohol addiction experience higher rates of abnormal Pap smears, late- or under- screening and psychosocial risk factors including domestic violence and sexual assault.


METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional study of women attending publically funded women's health clinics in the community or in a live-in residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.


METHODS
The study was approved in May 2012. Data were collected between October 2012-December 2013 using standardized women's health questionnaires, domestic violence screening tools and Pap smear tests.


RESULTS
Women attending the rehabilitation facility had higher rates of abnormal Pap smears (16·7% vs. 1·6%) and self-reported history of abnormal Pap smears (44·4% vs. 20·6%). They also reported higher rates of smoking (72·2% vs. 29·2%), experience of sexual assault (44·1% vs. 16·9%), experience of domestic violence (65·7% vs. 10·9%) and other psychosocial risk factors, than women living in the general community. Unexpectedly, women in the rehabilitation facility reported similar levels of late screening as women in the community (52·8% vs. 55·4%).


CONCLUSIONS
Women with drug and alcohol addiction have significantly higher incidence of risk factors for cervical cancer and abnormal Pap smears. Provision of opportunistic cervical cancer screening during residential treatment appears to reduce incidence of late-screening. Roles of Women's Health Nurses in providing services to vulnerable women should be explored further.
Women's Health Unit, Rosemeadow Community Health Centre, South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), New South Wales, Australia.
Jacqui
J
Soccio
Community Paediatrics, Liverpool Hospital, SWSLHD, New South Wales, Australia.
Margaret
M
Brown
Primary and Community Health Research Unit (PCHRU), Division of Community Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales Australia, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
Elizabeth
E
Comino
Primary and Community Health Research Unit (PCHRU), Division of Community Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.|School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Emma
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6969-8230
E
Friesen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000523:psychology*; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
cervical screening; drug and alcohol use; nurses/midwives/nursing; pap smear testing; substance use disorder; women