Open AccessPreventive Care for Women in Prison: A Qualitative Community Health Assessment of the Papanicolaou Test and Follow-Up Treatment at a California State Women’s Prison
Author(s) -
Catherine G Magee,
Jen R. Hult,
Ruby-Asuncion N Turalba,
Shelby McMillan
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2005.063677
Subject(s) - prison , pap test , medicine , test (biology) , health care , papanicolaou stain , papanicolaou test , family medicine , qualitative research , nursing , cervical cancer , gerontology , psychiatry , psychology , cervical cancer screening , cancer , political science , criminology , sociology , paleontology , social science , law , biology
Growing evidence indicates that women in prison are particularly vulnerable to many negative health outcomes, including cervical cancer. The Papanicolaou (Pap) test is an effective tool to screen for this disease. To determine what is and is not working with the Pap test and follow-up treatment, we performed qualitative interviews with women prisoners and key informants at a California state women's prison. Our assessment revealed that the process of administering Pap tests at this institution was not meeting the health care needs of the women interviewed. Women reported having negative experiences during the test and with their health care providers. Additionally the prison's culture and infrastructure create obstacles that hinder prisoners from receiving quality care and providers from delivering that care. In response, women prisoners use self-and community advocacy to meet their health care needs and cope with these challenges.