OBJECTIVE To analyze the coverage of a cervical cancer screening program in a city with a high incidence of the disease in addition to the factors associated with non-adherence to the current preventive program.METHODS A cross-sectional study based on household surveys was conducted. The sample was composed of women between 25 and 59 years of age of the city of Boa Vista, RR, Northern Brazil who were covered by the cervical cancer screening program. The cluster sampling method was used. The dependent variable was participation in a women’s health program, defined as undergoing at least one Pap smear in the 36 months prior to the interview; the explanatory variables were extracted from individual data. A generalized linear model was used.RESULTS 603 women were analyzed, with an mean age of 38.2 years (SD = 10.2). Five hundred and seventeen women underwent the screening test, and the prevalence of adherence in the last three years was up to 85.7% (95%CI 82.5;88.5). A high per capita household income and recent medical consultation were associated with the lower rate of not being tested in multivariate analysis. Disease ignorance, causes, and prevention methods were correlated with chances of non-adherence to the screening system; 20.0% of the women were reported to have undergone opportunistic and non-routine screening.CONCLUSIONS The informed level of coverage is high, exceeding the level recommended for the control of cervical cancer. The preventive program appears to be opportunistic in nature, particularly for the most vulnerable women (with low income and little information on the disease). Studies on the diagnostic quality of cervicovaginal cytology and therapeutic schedules for positive cases are necessary for understanding the barriers to the control of cervical cancer.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of mammography use and factors related to non-adherence in Boa Vista, capital of Roraima, Brazil. Method: A cross sectional study, quantitative analysis, based on household survey was performed between June and August 2013, using a face-to-face interview with a pre-tested form. Target population was women between 40 and 69 years. The sample size target was 240 participants, and the sampling method was random cluster sampling. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Federal University of Roraima. Results: 241 women were included without refusals. The prevalence of non-use of mammography in the past two years was 55.6% (95CI 49.1-61.9). In univariate analysis, the risk factors for non-adherence to mammography were having low educational level, family income below three minimum wages, receiving government assistance, not having consulted with a doctor and no health insurance. In multivariate analysis, only low educational level and receiving government assistance remained as risk factors. Medical consultation or health worker visiting were protective factors. Conclusion: Adherence to mammography is unsatisfactory in Boa Vista, Roraima, and has a predominantly opportunistic character. Low educational level is confirmed as an independent risk factor, but belonging to a family that receives government assistance can be interpreted as a social marker of families and/or areas lacking of government intervention to increase access to breast cancer control programs.