Using Social Marketing Model to Persuade the Women on Human Papillomavirus Screening

Background and Aim: In many countries of the world, Human Papilloma Virus is known as the most common sexually transmitted disease and the most common cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the intervention based on social marketing on the screening of the human papilloma virus. Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental study, the design, implementation, and evaluation of social marketing-based intervention on HPV screening in women living in Mashhad using the SMART model in the years 2020-2022 were discussed. After carrying out the intervention's formative and design study, a semi-experimental study on 70 women aged 30 to 50 living in Mashhad was used to implement the intervention. A health center was chosen as the test center and another center, which was similar to the first center in terms of demographic characteristics, was chosen as the control center. The intervention was implemented for three weeks in the test group and three months after the end of the intervention. Results: The results showed that after the implementation of the intervention, changes in knowledge score and scores of perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived barriers, self-efficacy and guidance for action immediately after and two months after the intervention in the test and control groups were significant (p<0.0001). The results of the implementation and evaluation of the intervention showed that after the intervention, 29 people in the test group (82.8%) referred to the center for the screening test. In the control group, no case of referral for HPV screening test was reported. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, using social marketing model and paying attention to the opinions and viewpoints of the target group and removing barriers and using facilitators can be used to encourage people to perform screening. HPV screening to make facilitators and to remove barriers is suggested.