Social, cultural, environmental, and political contexts of underserved women's health issues: Lessons learned from prevalence and risk factors of pre-invasive and invasive cervical cancer in Ibadan, Nigeria

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jaiye Thomas, MD, FWACP, FRCS, c/o ESU, P.O. Box 155, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 and Adenike Bitto, MD, DrPH, FRIPHCHE, ESU, P.O Box 155, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, 570 801-1044, abitto@po-box.esu.edu.

This paper is based on a multi-year longitudinal study of the prevalence and associated risk factors for cervical cancer. Data will be presented to illustrate lessons learned on social, cultural, environmental, and political contexts of underserved women's health issues including: age range of participating women, mean age at menarche; mean age at menopause; parity and gravidity; age at first intercourse and at first pregnancy, marital status, educational status, number of regular sexual partners and casual partners, tobacco smoking and chewing habits. Additional data will include age specific prevalence of abnormal smears (ASCUS; LSIL; HSIL, Invasive cancer). Other correlations with age group; socio-demographic and reproductive characteristics of women with normal smears will be contrasted contrasted with women that had abnormal cervical smears; and indicators of sexual habits correlated with abnormal smears. Pre-malignant and other abnormal cytological findings may be correlated with number of lifetime sexual partners; husband's extramarital affairs; anti-HSV; use of hormonal contraceptive; condoms; Intrauterine device (IUD); and positivity for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Session participants will be able to contribute to formulation of an interdisciplinary mitigation plan, given prevailing health disparities among the underserved population. The conference theme of public health and human rights is germane to finding answers to concerns raised by this study, including issues of poverty, disempowerment versus capacity building and self-esteem.