The Reasons and Barriers for Pap Smear Screening Among Women in Puncak Alam, Selangor
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Abstract
Introduction: A Papanicolaou (Pap) smear is recommended for women aged 21 and above who are sexually active, as it can identify cervical cancer. The practice and knowledge of Pap smear was insufficient, and the primary barrier to Pap smear screening was time constraints. This study aims to determine the level of reasons and barriers to Pap smear screening among women in Puncak Alam, Selangor. Materials and methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was done with 280 respondents recruited by convenience sampling. The questionnaire has three parts. Part A: seven questions on demographic data, Part B: seven questions on reasons for getting Pap smear screening, and Part C: nine questions on barriers to Pap smear screening. Results: Out of 280 respondents, 96.1% answered yes to "For cervical cancer detection". Most respondents agreed that the main obstacle to Pap smear screening was not knowing what age to undergo a Pap test (82.5%). There was a significant association between marital status and the barriers to Pap smear screening p < 0.05. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between the reasons and barriers to Pap smear screening among women in Puncak Alam. Future studies should aim for large sample sizes to identify the natural causes and barriers for Pap smear among women in Malaysia.
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