Exame de Papanicolaou em mulheres encarceradas

Abstract

In Brazil, in 2012, 6.4% of the prison population was made up of women. The aim of the study was to verify the coverage of the Pap smear according to sociodemographic characteristics and health problems reported among incarcerated women. Cross-sectional study conducted from August 2012 to July 2013, considering the records of 702 inmates aged between 25 and 64 years and the duration of imprisonment (not less than 12 months). The average age of the women surveyed was 34.7 years. The performance of cervical cytology was reported by 26.3% of inmates. There were no difference in prevalence according to selected variables. The containment condition enables the implementation of preventive measures such as offering and realization of Pap smear for most inmates. The observed results are worrying and differ significantly from those presented in the national diagnosis on the health of incarcerated women.

Behind bars: the burden of being a woman in Brazilian prisons

“…Regarding mammograms in prison, 42,7% of women over the age 50 have never done reported the exam. These results are similar to the study conducted by Audi (2016), [ 24 ], who identified low prevalence of both cervical cancer screening and mammograms. Several factors are associated with low number of mammograms, including being single, having little education, being of low social class, lack of knowledge of prevention methods, and lack of access to free services [ 40 ].…”

“…The large number incarcerated for drug crimes speaks more to society’s addictions and the predatory behavior of partners than individual moral qualities. Incarceration is associated with family disintegration, poor social conditions, low education, little expectation of social reintegration, and the difficulty of improving their lives [ 24 ]. Given these circumstances, women find themselves without expectations of change in their social and financial conditions after prison, favoring recidivism.…”

“…Prisoners are poor women coming from marginal and precarious living environments who may not have had access to quality health care. This renders it a suitable locus for the implementation of preventive strategies, as well as the provision of basic health services, including early detection of breast cancer and cervical cancer prevention [ 24 ]. For many women, incarceration is the only opportunity to gain access to health services [ 33 ].…”

“…Several factors are associated with low number of mammograms, including being single, having little education, being of low social class, lack of knowledge of prevention methods, and lack of access to free services [ 40 ]. Due to the high percentages of young women in prison, there are great consequences in not carrying out the appropriate breast cancer screening program [ 24 ]; screening has been demonstrated to be an essential strategy for reducing breast cancer mortality in women aged 40 to 49 years old [ 41 ].…”

Access Of Women In Jail To Cytological Exam: A Quantitative Analysis

“…The cytopathological examination should be carried out, as a matter of priority, on women 25 to 59 years of age, once a year, whose collection consists of a sample from the outside (ectocervix), and another from the inside (endocervix). The exam is painless, inexpensive, fast and free [15,3].…”