Omani Women's Experiences of Cervical Cancer Screening

Objective: To examine the experiences of Omani women in North Batinah Governorate with cervical cancer (CC) screening. Design: Qualitative design directed by a constructivist grounded theory approach. Setting: Women were recruited from obstetric and gynecologic clinics in six primary health care institutions in North Batinah Governorate, Oman. Participants: Thirty women were interviewed; 20 (66.7%) were between ages 25 and 40 years, and 21 (70.0%) had given birth multiple times, 16 (53.3%) held high education certificates, and 18 (60.0%) were unemployed. Methods: Data were collected via semistructured interviews. Purposive sampling was used initially, followed by theoretical sampling until data saturation. Constant comparative analysis was used. Results: Three main themes were determined: Sociocultural Aspects, Personal Aspects, and Health Care Aspects that influenced women's judgments about completing screening for CC. Sociocultural aspects were mainly about beliefs, stigma, and the influential role of other Omani women regarding CC screening. Personal aspects reflected women's knowledge and physical and psychological barriers to CC screening. Health care aspects were the challenges women encountered related to obtaining CC screening. Conclusion: Some women who had previously undergone CC screening chose not to repeat CC screening due to physical and psychological issues. These findings suggest that the Ministry of Health in Oman should develop policies, health education (online and printed sources), and supportive programs to enhance women's awareness and knowledge of CC screening and increase screening rates among women.