Public and professional attitudes to a screening programme for the prevention of cancer of the uterine cervix. A preliminary study.

Abstract

Exfoliative cytology has been widely used over the past decade as an aid to diagnosis of cancer of the uterine cervix. More recently it has been used increasingly in various centres in Great Britain for the discovery of precancerous conditions of the cervix, with the aim of preventing progression to invasive cancer (see The accumulated experience justified consideration by the Ministry of Health of the possibilities of providing facilities for the screening of healthy women within certain age limits. As a necessary preparation for a general programme, the need was also felt for an investigation of public and professional attitudes to such a screening programme.