Cervical Cancer Prevention: Unearthing the Unspoken Barriers for Caribbean Women Aged 20 to 64 Years Old

Despite the introduction of effective screening mechanisms and the HPV vaccine in the Caribbean, the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer remains disproportionately higher than the rest of the world; the average incidence almost double the global average and is estimated to rise by more than 75% in the next 20 years. This review aims to explore the reasons that Cervical cancer prevention services are underutilized within the region. A search of PubMed and Cochrane databases, and Google Scholar was done to identify relevant articles. Results showed that a lack of awareness and the resulting misconceptions about cervical cancer and its prevention; low literacy levels; fear of the procedure; and a negative diagnosis were factors that influenced use of prevention services in the Caribbean. Additionally, social factors such as stigma attached to HPV and cancer, physician-related barriers such as communication style and gender, and the health system defects were prominent contributors to the problem. Widespread and aggressive education beginning at the secondary school level; open discussion of cancer-related topics to dispel stigma; reconsidering materials used for dissemination of information; and addressing physician related barriers through use of female chaperons are some of the ways to improve utilization of services. These interventions can increase cervical cancer prevention programs’ effectiveness and women’s participation in the Caribbean, thus reducing the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer in the region.

Keywords: uterine cervical neoplasms, Caribbean women, prevention, Papanicolaou test, papillomavirus infections, HPV vaccination.