Recognition of the need to decrease cervical cancer rates in Indigenous populations has been ongoing – yet few successful interventions have been reported. In addition, the literature addressing the challenges and barriers associated with designing screening programs aimed to specifically reach Indigenous women is limited. Here, we report findings from a mixed methods cervical cancer research project conducted in partnership with 10 First Nations communities in Northwest Ontario, Canada. Individual interviews with community health professionals (the majority of whom identified as First Nation) stressed that awareness of cervical screening benefits is lacking. In contrast, focus group participants (women with no formal health education) emphasized the desire to learn more about the science of human papillomavirus (HPV) and that a positive HPV or abnormal Papanicolaou test need not mean a woman will develop cervical cancer. Both the health professionals and the focus group participants highlighted that sexual health education must start early, in schools, preferably before girls are sexually active and that it has to continue throughout life to create a screening culture with a focus on women’s well-being. Health professionals elaborated mainly on special events for community women, whereas focus group participants also recognized the need to include community men in health education particularly for destigmatizing the sexually transmitted HPV infection.

中文翻译：

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通过教育让​​加拿大原住民妇女参与宫颈筛查

对降低土著人群宫颈癌发病率的必要性的认识一直在持续——但很少有成功的干预措施的报道。此外，解决与设计专门针对土著妇女的筛查计划相关的挑战和障碍的文献是有限的。在这里，我们报告了与加拿大安大略省西北部 10 个原住民社区合作进行的混合方法宫颈癌研究项目的结果。与社区卫生专业人员（其中大多数被确定为原住民）的个人访谈强调，缺乏对宫颈筛查益处的认识。相比之下，焦点小组参与者（未受过正规健康教育的女性）强调希望更多地了解人乳头瘤病毒 (HPV) 的科学，并且 HPV 阳性或巴氏巴氏杆菌检测异常并不意味着女性会患上宫颈癌。卫生专业人员和焦点小组参与者都强调，性健康教育必须尽早在学校开始，最好在女孩性活跃之前开始，并且必须在整个一生中持续进行，以创造一种关注妇女福祉的筛查文化。卫生专业人员主要阐述了针对社区女性的特殊活动，而焦点小组参与者也认识到需要将社区男性纳入健康教育，特别是为了消除性传播 HPV 感染的污名。