The influence of gender roles and traditional healing on cervical screening adherence amongst women in a Cape Town peri-urban settlement

Learmonth, Despina; Vuuren, Anica Jansen van; Abreu, Chantelle De

doi:10.1080/20786190.2014.978096

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Participants reported experiences of stigma, which is consistent with findings on other studies among women with cervical cancer (Chirwa et al, 2010; De Abreu et al, 2013; Learmonth et al, 2015). Women reported that they felt shame and were confused when confronted with stigmatising ideas.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…This hesitancy to disclose their diagnosis can be contributed to perceptions and attitudes of community members towards the disease (Leser & Francis, 2014). Attitudes and beliefs regarding cervical cancer were often culturally bound within women’s communities and shaped the way that women perceived themselves (Learmonth et al, 2015; Maree & Wright, 2010; Maree et al, 2014; Mosavel et al, 2010). Stigma may therefore be dependent on the environment women find themselves in and can lead to non-disclosure and isolation (Sabulei & Maree, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers conducting a study in Zambia found that participants attributed cervical cancer to factors such as bewitchment, oral contraceptive use, or as divine punishment (Chirwa et al, 2010). Myths and beliefs such as these may negatively impact treatment adherence (Learmonth et al, 2015) and attitudes towards the disease (Mosavel et al, 2010) were associated with stigma (Chirwa et al, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Knowledge, misinformation, stigma, and disclosure hesitancy among women receiving curative treatment for cervical cancer at a tertiary hospital in South Africa

Williams

Simonds

Roomaney

2023

South African Journal of Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The high prevalence and burden of cervical cancer in low- and middle-income countries has spurred much research into preventing and screening for the disease. However, little research has focussed on the experience of living with the disease and undergoing treatment in South Africa. Our aim was to explore knowledge, misinformation, stigma, and disclosure hesitancy among women receiving curative treatment for cervical cancer at a tertiary hospital in South Africa. We conducted semistructured interviews with 15 women who completed curative treatment for cervical cancer at an academic hospital in South Africa. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. In this paper, we describe participants’ knowledge and understanding of cervical cancer, their experience of misinformation and stigma and hesitancy to disclose their illness to others. Participants reported little knowledge about cervical cancer. They reported many sources of misinformation, such as family members and even medical professionals, which at times contributed to delays in seeking diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, participants reported feeling stigma associated with their diagnosis. We highlight the central role that communication can play in increasing knowledge, reducing stigma and misinformation, and facilitating disclosure among women with cervical cancer. We include recommendations for health care practitioners and researchers.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%