Table 2.

Women’s focus groups: Cancer and Pap testing.

HPV and Cervical Cancer in Appalachia

Woman (age 38): “I’ve heard this is the cancer belt.”

Pap Test Barriers—Embarrassment

Woman (age 51): “… probably the having to, you know, just get up there and spread ‘em’.”

Woman (age 51): “I would say the embarrassment. Especially being overweight, you know? It’s embarrassing.”

Pap Test Barriers—Emotional Stress

Woman (age 38): “I don’t like people touching me, so it’s very uncomfortable for people to touch me so I can get a Pap smear.”

Woman (age 32): “I mean, I think cancer is always really scary. That’s a big thing around here, but I think especially feminine stuff, we seem to ignore because it’s so uncomfortable too … when you go to the doctor’s…. Umm, I mean because you’re just so exposed and you’re just so, I mean, not even just physically but emotionally you just feel raw and …”

Pap Test Barriers—Physical Pain/Discomfort

Woman (age 46): “People are too busy doing other things…. I would get too busy doing other things, raising children, family, you get busy and put it on the back burner. It’s just one of the things you don’t think about.”

Pap Test Barriers—Indirect Costs

Woman (age 38): “No, it’s the cost of daycare….”