Insight

Cervical cancer: Why are women shunning the pap smear?

“A PAP smear, No thanks,” says 26-year-old Mary Kaitesi. It’s the same response when I ask 20-year-old Rose, a university student.  The rate at which  young girls are shunning the Pap smear test is worrying.  Yet it is a harmless test that could save many from cervical cancer. The Pap smear is a screening test for cervical cancer. Cells scraped from the opening of the cervix are examined under a microscope. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb). Dr Alphonse Butoyi, a gynaecologist at Kanombe Military Hospital says that he sees three to four women per week coming for consultation on the Pap smear test.  It’s a similar trend across most healthy facilities across the country. 
The New Times
Doreen Umutesi