Tamizaje de cáncer cervicouterino en dos centros de salud de la ciudad de Santa Fe en el periodo 2019-2021

Abstract

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women. It is a preventable and curable pathology, thanks to its early detection through HPV test and the Papanicolaou test. This investigation aimed to identify which of those women, who consulted for different reasons in two of the health centers of the City of Santa Fe, had a PAP smear performed in the last three years. Additionally, the age distribution of the screened women in these two health centers was compared. The total sample between both sites was 1773 women who consulted during 2021. They were between 25 and 65 years old, with an average age of 39 ± 10 years [95% CI 38.9-39.9] for both centers. In CAPS A, 58% of women had at least one PAP test performed in the last three years, against 46% in CAPS B. Providing that, a statistically significant difference (P<0.001) was observed between the women with PAP who attended CAPS A (n: 521, 58%) and those of CAPS B (n: 408, 46%). Since opportunistic screening coverage is insufficient, it must be incorporated into all primary care services, not only into those corresponding to sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, what should be implemented is the active search for women at risk of suffering from CCU, since they are mostly left out of spontaneous consultation.