Fatores associados a não realização do exame preventivo do câncer de colo de útero no Brasil: a busca por evidências científicas

The objective of this research was to analyze the scientific evidence available in the literature on the factors associated with non-performance of the preventive examination for cervical cancer (pap smear) in Brazil. To this end, an integrative literature review was conducted in the SciELO, LILACS, PubMed/MEDLINE, Nursing Database (BDENF), and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases, which included articles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese published between 2018 and 2022. At the end, 19 articles for this review. The results showed that sociodemographic factors (level of education, economic conditions and marital status) were the main determinants (31.58%; n=6) of the non-performance of the preventive exam. In addition, cultural factors (shame, beliefs and customs) (10.53%; n=2) and those related to the health service itself (geographic location and low coverage) (31.58%; n=6) and the performance of the professionals (26.31%; n=5) compromised the non-performance of the preventive examination. The factors that led to the non-performance of the preventive examination can be minimized and/or avoided in order to ensure women's adherence and the reduction of vulnerabilities associated with cervical cancer.