‘She is my wife and I have to support her’: exploring cervical cancer awareness and perceptions of married men in a Ghanaian community

Abstract

Background/Aims Cervical cancer prevention and elimination require a multi-faceted approach. This study explored married men’s awareness of cervical cancer, their perceptions of cervical cancer screening and their willingness to support their spouses with screening. Methods This descriptive qualitative study design recruited 15 purposively selected married men aged 20 years or older living in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. In-depth interviews were conducted with a semi-structured interview guide and data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results There was high awareness of cervical cancer among the participants. The main themes were participants’ knowledge and perception of cervical cancer and screening, and supporting partners with cervical cancer screening. Each theme had two subthemes. The subthemes regarding knowledge were ‘lack of knowledge about the disease’ and ‘lack of knowledge of preventive measures’, the subthemes on perception were ‘a normal disease’ and ‘doctors are trained’, and the subthemes for support were ‘financial support’ and ‘encouragement’. Conclusions Efforts to increase uptake of cervical cancer screening should focus on educating married men about the disease, as they can support their spouses to attend cervical cancer screening services.