Main Findings
Our study is the first systematic review of barriers and facilitators to
cervical cancer screening globally, specifically for young women and
adolescents under the age of 35. While there have been calls to action
regarding this topic, it has been difficult to characterize the breadth
of young women’s perspectives regarding screening. Our 36 included
studies had a diverse spread of country locations across low-, middle-
and high-income countries in addition to a range of study populations.
Barriers encompassed three groups: lack of knowledge/awareness, negative
perceptions of the test, and practical barriers to testing. Facilitators
included stronger relationships with healthcare providers, social norms,
support from family, and self-efficacy.