Abstract
Context and objectiveIncarcerated women are more vulnerable to developing cervical cancer than women in general; therefore, screening and intervention programs must be included in their healthcare provision. We therefore aimed to investigate the state of cervical cancer screening for imprisoned women in Mato Grosso do Sul, and to analyze the interventions geared toward the control of cervical cancer.Materials and methodsThis was a cross-sectional study with analysis of primary and secondary data. Interviews were held with 510 women in seven prisons in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The data for 352 medical records were analyzed statistically with the significance level set at 5%. Associations were assessed by the chi-squared test, adjusted by the Bonferroni correction.ResultsMost female prisoners had limited education, used tobacco, and had key risk factors for the development of cervical cancer. Half of the women interviewed (n = 255) stated that they had received a Papanicolaou (Pap) test in prison, but 134 (52.5%) of these did not know the result. Of those who had not received a Pap test, 149 (58.4%) stated that this was because of a lack of opportunity. There was no information regarding the provision of Pap tests or subsequent treatment in the medical records of 211 (59.9%) women. No protocols were in place for the provision of Pap tests in prison. There were statistical differences between prisons in terms of test frequency, the information provided to women, and how information was recorded in medical records.ConclusionThe screening of cervical cancer in prisons is neither systematic nor regular, and the results are not communicated to women in a significant number of cases. It is necessary to organize health services within the prison environment, ensuring that tests are done and that there is investigation for human papillomavirus. This could increase the diagnosis of cervical cancer at less advanced stages of the disease.
Highlights
In 2014, Brazil had the first-largest prison population in the South America 622,202 people
There was no information regarding the provision of Pap tests or subsequent treatment in the medical records of 211 (59.9%) women
No protocols were in place for the provision of Pap tests in prison
Summary
In 2014, Brazil had the first-largest prison population in the South America 622,202 people. Female prisoners area special group because of sex and gender inequalities. They represent a minority group, composing 2% to 9% of the world’s prison population, the number of women in prisons is increasing. The growth rate is higher than that in the male prison population [3]. Between 2000 and 2014, Brazil recorded an increase of 567% in the female prison population, with some 37,308 Brazilian women being imprisoned in 2014 alone. Brazil has the fifth-largest population of imprisoned women worldwide [4,5]
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