Why don't women go?

From December 2018 to February 2019, Wessex Voices engaged with 200+ women aged 50+ years, who live in more deprived areas of Dorset and Hampshire, to explore why they don’t or have stopped going for NHS cervical and breast screening. At the time of the project, the number of older women attending cervical screening appointments was at a 17-year low.

Women told us they understood the importance of screening but had various reasons for not going, such as having a bad experience previously at a screening; felt they were healthy and did not need to go; inconvenient venue locations and appointment times. Taboos also still exist about women's health issues.

Several recommendations were made, but key ones included:

• Exploring how to make screening less uncomfortable and more dignified for women, both in terms of process and improving staff training.
• Making appointments more accessible to women in terms of time, places and booking methods.
• Recognising women feel vulnerable at this time and providing a warm welcome and advice on how they can relax.

Findings were used to inform NHS Public Health colleagues who manage screening programmes and those they work with to improve screening uptake nationally and locally.