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Table 4 Reasons for not undergoing a Pap smear screening among cases (women followed in the HIV treatment centres) and matched controls

From: Knowledge, awareness and attitudes about cervical cancer among women attending or not an HIV treatment center in Lao PDR

Reasons

Total

Cases

Controls

p

N = 615

N = 302

N = 313

(%)

(%)

(%)

No symptoms

203 (33.0)

139 (46.0)

64 (20.4)

0.0001

Never heard of screening

160 (26.0)

64 (21.2)

96 (30.7)

0.003

Believing it is not necessary

92 (14.9)

33 (10.9)

59 (18.8)

0.003

Not enough available

51 (8.3)

17 (5.6)

34 (10.9)

0.01

Not prescribed by the doctor

33 (5.4)

22 (7.3)

11 (3.5)

0.04

Fear to be too expensive

22 (3.6)

13 (4.3)

9 (2.9)

0.30

No risk factor

19 (3.1)

9 (1.5)

10 (3.2)

0.80

Fear of painful sampling

17 (2.8)

0 (0)

17 (5.4)

0.0001

Screening centre too far

7 (1.1)

4 (1.3)

3 (0.9)

1.00

Fear of an abnormal result

5 (0.8)

0 (0)

5 (1.6)

0.06

Shame or embarrassment

4 (0.7)

1 (0.3)

3 (0.9)

0.60

Absence of sexual activity

2 (0.3)

0 (0)

2 (0.6)

0.50