245 Discrimination in healthcare: exploring ethno-racial inequalities in cervical cancer screening and patient narratives in Belgium

Abstract EP1.4, e-Poster Terminal 1, September 4, 2025, 11:35 - 13:00 Aims: Inequalities in cervical cancer screening participation among Sub-Saharan African migrant women are well-documented, even after accounting for socioeconomic factors, pointing to persistent challenges. Negative interpersonal interactions and discrimination in healthcare are considered key barriers to access, as those reporting such experiences are more likely to delay seeking care. Because African migrant women living in Belgium may face multiple axes of discrimination based on race, gender, migration status, and language, we aim to investigate the role of past experiences of medical encounters in shaping African women’s decision-making around cancer screening. We also examine how power imbalances manifest in patient-provider interactions, and explore the strategies women use to navigate interpersonal and structural barriers. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with African and Afrodescendant women living in Belgium (N∼25) to explore their perceptions of discrimination, doctor-patient dynamics, and the factors influencing cervical cancer screening uptake. By centring women’s perspectives, we aim to illuminate how lived experiences of discrimination in Belgium and negative interpersonal exchanges with healthcare providers shape screening decisions. Results: Early themes emerging from the interviews point to distrust, perceived bias, and emotional hesitancy in seeking healthcare, but also resilience and a strong commitment to health when faced with discrimination and systemic barriers. In addition, important heterogeneities exist in how women experience, interpret, and respond to discrimination, shaped by factors such as age, social class, educational background, and years lived in Belgium. These factors, in turn, affect their subsequent health-seeking decisions around cervical cancer screening in different ways, illustrating the importance of an intersectional perspective. Conclusion: These emerging results highlight the need for culturally responsive interventions that acknowledge intersectional identities and how they relate to interpersonal and systemic barriers to cervical cancer screening. Such measures can help minimise burdens in healthcare-seeking pathways and ensure more equitable engagement in screening among Afrodescendant women.