Ladies shy away from cancer screening

Older women in Imenti North, Meru County are seven times more likely to be screened for cervical cancer than the young ones.

In a research carried out by Kenya Medical Training College senior lecturer Agnes Mutuma, women aged 42 to 49 years were screened more frequently at 31.8 per cent compared to those aged 18 to 25 years, at 4.4 per cent. In the study titled, ‘Factors influencing uptake of cervical cancer screening in Imenti North, Meru County,’ awareness on the reproductive health disease was carried out in Meru Level 5 County hospital, nine dispensaries and 11 private and mission hospitals.

Meru level Five hospital recorded highest screening rate at 48 per cent in a county that is hoping to adhere to the World Health Organisation’s “screen-and-treat” standard-of-care guidelines that encourage prompt correct diagnosis and immediate treatment.

“Three out of every ten women in the study area failed to screen for cervical cancer for being undecided and another two in every ten women cited lack of knowledge,” Ms Mutuma said.

She blames cervical cancer deaths on inadequate screening programmes.

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