Violence against women and cervical cancer screening: a systematic review

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To present a systematic review of papers published on the relationship between violence against women and cervical cancer screening.

Background: Violence against women is a serious public health problem. This phenomenon can have negative effects on victims' health and affect the frequency at which they receive cervical cancer screening.

Design: A systematic literature review.

Methods: This study was carried out in October 2015 with searches of the Lilacs, PubMed and Web of Science databases using the following keywords: violence, domestic violence, battered women, spouse abuse, Papanicolaou test, vaginal smears, early detection of cancer and cervix uteri.

Results: Eight papers published between 2002-2013 were included in this review, most of which were cross-sectional studies. Three studies found no association between victimisation and receiving Pap testing, and five studies reported an association. These contradictory results were due to higher or lower examination frequencies among the women who had experienced violence.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the association between violence against women and cervical cancer screening remains inconclusive, and they demonstrate the need for more detailed studies to help clarify this relationship.

Relevance to clinical practice: Professionals who aid women should be knowledgeable regarding the perception and detection of violence so that they can interrupt the cycle of aggression, which has harmful impacts on victims' health.

Keywords: Papanicolaou test; battered women; domestic violence; spouse abuse; vaginal smear; violence against women.