Details:

Alternative Title:
Oncologist
Personal Author:
Ragan, Kathleen R. ; Buchanan Lunsford, Natasha ; Lee Smith, Judith ; Saraiya, Mona ; Aketch, Millicent
Ragan, Kathleen R. ; Buchanan Lunsford, Natasha ; Lee Smith, Judith ; Saraiya, Mona ; Aketch, Millicent Less -
Description:
Background.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of female cancer mortality in Kenya. Kenya's National Cervical Cancer Prevention Program Strategic Plan outlines efforts to reduce the burden; however, treatment services remain limited. This study identified male and female perspectives regarding benefits, facilitators, and barriers to treatment for precancerous lesions and cervical cancer.

Materials and Methods.

Ten focus groups were conducted in Nairobi and Nyanza in 2014 with females aged 25–49 years (n = 60) and male partners (n = 40). Participants were divided into groups dependent on screening status, sex, language, and geographic location. Qualitative analytic software was used to analyze transcribed and translated data.

Results.

Treatment was endorsed as beneficial for the prevention of death and the improvement of wellness, quality of life, symptoms, and family life. Barriers reported by males and females included the following: (a) concerns about side effects; (b) treatment‐related fear and stigma; (c) marital discord; (d) financial and access issues; (e) religious and cultural beliefs; and (f) limited knowledge. Male endorsement of wanting to improve knowledge and communication with their partners, in spite of stigmatizing beliefs and misperceptions regarding females with abnormal screening results or those who have been diagnosed with cancer, was novel.

Conclusion.

Incorporating qualitative data on benefits of and barriers to treatment for precancerous lesions and cervical cancer into Kenya's national priorities and activities is important. These findings can be used to inform the development and successful implementation of targeted, region‐specific community outreach and health messaging campaigns focused on alleviating the country's cervical cancer burden.

Implications for Practice.

This article provides important insight into female and male partner perspectives regarding benefits, facilitators, and barriers to treatment for precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. These novel research findings can inform the development of targeted community health interventions, educational messages, and resources and aid stakeholders in strengthening strategic plans regarding treatment coverage and cervical cancer prevention. Because several treatment barriers identified in this study are similar to barriers associated with cervical cancer screening in low‐ and middle‐resourced countries, effective messaging interventions could address barriers to receipt of both screening and treatment.


Subjects:
[+]
9 Cervical Cancer Focus Groups Global Health And Cancer Perceptions Treatment
Source:
Oncologist. 23(1):35-43.
Pubmed ID:
28798272
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC5759810
Document Type:
Journal Article
Funding:
U01 GH000048/GH/CGH CDC HHS/United States
Place as Subject:
Kenya
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:e713c94408b635770aa04a1d598e7f408e9c7528b4ab66449163c3cc63c88703
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/58418/cdc_58418_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

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  	supp_the2017-0053_onco12233-sup-0001-suppinfo01.pdf	pdf

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