What is it about?
Cervical screening helps prevent cervical cancer, but fewer women in the UK are choosing to attend their appointments. Women often report similar barriers to cervical screening, like fear of pain or embarrassment, yet some will go while others don't. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 44 women about their cervical screening experiences and analysed what factors influenced their choices. We found that personal beliefs and how women interpret information play a big role in screening decision-making. The same facts can mean different things to different people. Trust in healthcare professionals and feeling cared for can help women overcome negative feelings about cervical screening. Our findings suggest simply giving more information isn't enough. Supportive, person-centred care is key to improving cervical screening attendance.
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Why is it important?
Cervical screening saves lives by identifying HPV infection and changes in cervical cells that can lead to cancer if left untreated. However, attendance is falling in the UK, which increases the risk of preventable illness and death. Previous efforts have focused on giving women more information, but our study shows that knowledge alone is not enough. Women interpret information differently based on their personal beliefs and experiences. Negative feelings like fear, embarrassment, or mistrust can stop women from attending, even when they know screening is important. By understanding these deeper influences, healthcare providers and public health campaigns can move beyond 'just informing' and instead build trust, offer person-centred care, and create positive experiences. This approach could help more women feel comfortable attending screening, ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing cervical cancer rates.
Perspectives
I am incredibly proud of this article, because it is thoughtful, nuanced and insightful. It highlights the importance of human interaction and what people consider "meaningful" information and how these experiences influence behaviour. This is a big shift from the traditional approach of simply giving more public health information and assuming the job is done. There are limits to that approach, and our findings show that trust, relationships and personalised care matter far more than just facts. Finally, it was a highly enjoyable team effort and I loved working with my collaborators on this research.
Dr Susanna Kola-Palmer
Department of Psychology, University of Huddersfield
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Facilitating engagement: Individual meaning-making and relationship-based trust in women’s experiences of cervical screening, Journal of Health Psychology, December 2025, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/13591053251400069.
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