2010 P. K. New Award From Cancer to Sexually Transmitted Infection: Explorations of Social Stigma among Cervical Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Perceptions of the relationship between cervical cancer and a sexually transmitted disease, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), has received increased media attention in recent years, potentially altering views toward cervical cancer survivors by others as well as altering perceptions of the survivors themselves regarding their health and the disease. This study explores the experiences and perceptions of cervical cancer patients and survivors living with this type of cancer at a moment in history when it is becoming a very visible manifestation of an STI, versus one constructed historically as a life-threatening cancer. This period in time, in which cervical cancer is being repositioned in and by educational and media messages, offers an opportunity to examine the rapid redefinition of a stigmatized condition as it occurs, and its subsequent impact on individuals previously diagnosed with cervical cancer.