O ENFERMEIRO COMO PROTAGONISTA NA PREVENÇÃO DO CÂNCER DO COLO DO ÚTERO

Objective: To discuss the proposed actions of nurses in the care and, mainly, in the prevention of cervical cancer. Literature review: Cervical cancer (CC) is a serious public health problem. In 2020, more than 500,000 women were diagnosed with it and almost 342,000 died, most of them in poor countries. Although women are the most active in seeking care in health services, many still do not know or underestimate the importance of the preventive exam, the Pap smear. This lack of knowledge about the true purpose of the exam can result in disinterest and lack of concern, leaving them more susceptible to neoplasia. Nursing care actions aimed at preventing CC are essentially health education and the collection of cytopathological material for the exam. Final considerations: Nurses undoubtedly play a leading role in the care and, mainly, in the prevention of cervical cancer, through educational actions that enable the shared construction of knowledge and individual and collective experiences.