‘We need to feel that the Government value our lives’: Examining Irish women’s experience of cervical screening services

Abstract

Cervical cancer is one of the top three cancers diagnosed in women globally. When women have access to a testing programme, abnormal cells can be detected to prevent the development of cancer. Research to date indicates that social and cultural barriers are the top two barriers in accessing cervical screening. In Ireland there may be a lack of trust in the National Cervical Screening programme due to previous mishandling of tests, and media coverage of the impacts of inaccurate screening results in Ireland. To understand impact of the health scandal on women's trust in cervical screening in Ireland, nine Irish women ages between 25-65 were interviewed. Data was thematically analysed using a feminist perspective to centre the women's voices in making sense of their appraisal and engagement with services. The data analysis resulted in four themes: Personal Reflections on Systemic Failure; Collective Concern and Blame; Decision Making Influencers and Rebuilding Knowledge and Trust. This analysis conveys distrust in the Irish Cervical Screening programme, feelings of anger, and a sense of neglect from the services. Irish women now place their trust in each other, the experience of their friends, families, their local GP. We discuss these finding to explore how Irish women have reinterpreted the narrative over the screening test in Ireland, and the potential to decrease concern around the topic by incorporating this experience into official narratives. This scandal heightened existing distrust and concern for the quality of women's screening services, and therefore has global relevance which can be applied to screening services more generally.