Perspectives of Screening-Eligible Women and Male Partners on Benefits of and Barriers to Treatment for Precancerous Lesions and Cervical Cancer in Kenya

摘要

Background. Cervical cancer isthe leading cause of female cancermortalityinKenya.Kenya’sNationalCervicalCancerPrevention Program Strategic Plan outlines efforts to reduce the burden; however, treatment services remain limited.This study identi?ed male and female perspectives regarding bene?ts, facilitators, and barriers to treatment for precancerous lesions andcervicalcancer. Materials and Methods. Ten focus groups were conducted in Nairobi and Nyanza in 2014 with females aged 25–49 years (n560) and male partners (n540). Participants were divided into groups dependent on screening status, sex, language, and geographic location. Qualitative analytic software was used to analyzetranscribedandtranslateddata. Results. Treatment was endorsed as bene?cial for the prevention of death and the improvement of wellness, quality of life, symptoms, and family life. Barriers reported by males and females included the following: (a) concerns about side effects; (b) treatment-related fear and stigma; (c) marital discord; (d) ?nancialandaccessissues;(e)religiousandculturalbeliefs;and (f) limited knowledge. Male endorsement of wanting to improve knowledge and communication with their partners, in spite of stigmatizing beliefs and misperceptions regarding females with abnormal screening results or those who have beendiagnosedwithcancer,wasnovel. Conclusion. Incorporating qualitative data on bene?ts of and barriersto treatment for precancerous lesions andcervical cancer into Kenya’s national priorities and activities is important. These?ndingscanbeusedtoinformthedevelopmentandsuccessful implementation of targeted, region-speci?c community outreach and health messaging campaigns focused on alleviating the country’s cervical cancer burden