Health Care : Current Reviews

Perspectives on cervical cancer screening in Muslim women of Dubai (UAE): A qualitative study

4^th Global Summit on Healthcare

November 09-10, 2015 Dubai, UAE

Sarah Khan1 and Gillian Woolhead2

1Zayed University, UAE
2University of Liverpool, UK

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Health Care: Current Reviews

Abstract:

Introduction: Cervical cancer (CC) is the seventh highest cause of death in the women of United Arab Emirates (UAE) where most deaths are attributed to late detection of cancer. CC screening rates in UAE are as low as 16.9%, yet little is known about the perspectives of educated Muslim women towards CC screening in this country. Aim: To explore the perspectives on cervical cancer screening in Muslim women of Dubai (UAE). Methods: Using an interpretivist and social constructivist epistemology approach, a qualitative study using 13 in-depth interviews was conducted. Six South Asian and seven Emirati women were recruited using purposive and snow balling sampling methods. Thematic content analysis with concurrent comparative analysis was applied to the data. Results: Four themes emerged from the data (1) CC was considered a �??silent disease�?? that could be detected with early screening. It was associated with extra marital sexual relations which had a negative impact on screening uptake. (2) Fear, pain, embarrassment of screening as well as cultural influences rather than religious beliefs negatively influenced uptake. (3) There was growing mistrust of allopathic medicine and impersonal influences in health care which negatively affected screening uptake and (4) Women who had been screened had little understanding of the causes of CC and only became aware of screening when they were pregnant or receiving fertility treatment. Conclusion: A national awareness program on CC screening should be tailored to the socio-cultural norms of the Muslim community in UAE to promote knowledge of the causes of CC and the importance of screening.

Biography :

Email: sarah.khan@zu.ac.ae