Abstract:

Objectives: The objective of the study is to deal with women having pap smears and to determine the factors related to this. Patients and Methods: The population of the study consisted of 350 women who applied to the gynecology and obstetrics outpatient clinic of a university hospital in a city located in Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey between December 2015 and April 2016. The whole population was included in the study without sample selection. Percentage distribution and chi-square analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: It was determined that 255 (64.3%) of 350 women had Pap smear tests previously. 125(35.7%) of them had never had this test performed. The rate of having a Pap smear test was found to increase with the increased age, duration of the marriage, patient awareness regarding the Pap smear test, attending gynecological examinations, and considering the patient herself at risk for the cervix cancer. Conclusions: The healthcare personnel should emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and regular health screenings to the women who attend gynecological examinations. These activities are beneficial to raise the awareness of women about cervical cancer and enable them to have regular health screenings so that early diagnosis of cancer becomes possible.

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