An Examination of Misconceptions and Their Impact on Cervical Cancer Prevention Practices among Sub-Saharan African and Middle Eastern Refugees

Objective: The purpose of the study was to understand cervical cancer screening and prevention practices of refugee women in San Diego, California and identify desired components of a cervical cancer screening toolkit. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured focus groups and identified common themes via grounded theory analysis. Results: There were 53 female refugee participants from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Over half of all women surveyed expressed a fear of pelvic exams and loss of modesty as barriers to seeking gynecologic care, with nearly 34% avoiding routine pap tests. Of the 18 participants who were asked if they were aware of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination, only one had heard of the vaccine and none had received it for themselves or their children. Over 60% of participants were interested in educational materials surrounding HPV and pap tests. Conclusion: There is a significant lack of knowledge regarding cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination among refugee women in San Diego, California. Refugee women in this study were interested in multi-modal educational materials as part of a cervical cancer screening toolkit.