Breaking Down Barriers: A Literature Review Understanding Cervical Cancer Screening in Hispanic Women

Background/Purpose: Hispanic women have one of the highest cervical cancer rates, with a 32% higher incidence than non-Hispanic white women1. This highlights a gap in critical preventive care within the Hispanic community. This review aims to explore these barriers Hispanic women face in accessing cervical cancer screenings and what can be done to address them. Methods: Barriers to cervical cancer screening in Hispanic women were identified through peer-reviewed articles from PubMed. Three independent researchers assessed journal eligibility based on publication date, relevance, and study quality. The search utilized the keywords “cervical cancer,” “screening,” “Hispanic women,” and “Latinas,” and was limited to publications from 2014 to 2024, yielding 13 articles included in this study. Results: The literature identifies significant barriers faced by Hispanic women in attaining cervical cancer screenings. Structural obstacles include lack of transportation, lack of language con-cordant providers, and inadequate health insurance.2,3,4,5 Social factors, particularly low health literacy contribute to decreased awareness of risk factors and screening guidelines.5,6 Concerns about embarrassment and fear exacerbate these barriers particularly when the provider is male or when patients face uncertainty with their documentation status.2,6 Cultural influences rooted in Hispanic communities like machismo and fatalismo negatively impact compliance with screening while religion was shown to positively impact screening compliance.3,4,7 Despite studies efforts to address these barriers, many cited the need for further research8. Conclusion: This review highlights significant structural, social, and cultural barriers to cervical cancer screening among Hispanic women and stresses continued need for culturally relevant education, low or no cost screening programs, and language concordant providers. Next steps should focus on understanding barriers to follow-up after abnormal pap smears where additional needs have been identified9.