Cervical cancer prevention in Pernambuco: improvements for whom? Inequity scenario in the state of the Northeast Region

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: to analyze the access to cervical cancer preventive examination in Pernambuco between 2002 and 2015 by cytopathological exam coverage. Methods: public data from SUS Computer Department were used, then processed by Tabnet and Excel and calculated the slope of the over time coefficient trend by simple regression techniques. Afterwards, they were plotted in thematic maps covering cytopathological exams on Terraview app 4.2.2. Results: Pernambuco State presented an increase of exam coverage trend in all the health regions until 2010. Since that year it started to have stabilization and decreased the tendency. Comparing the coverage of the two first years, in 2002, 42.7% of the cities coverage was below 0.2 and in 2015 the scenario changed, 41.1% of the cities coverage was above 0.6. We emphasize that even in that same year 13.5% of the cities still had a low or too low coverage (less than 0.4). The over time trends in increase and decline were strongly meaningful. Conclusions: this study revealed that all health regions presented a coverage lower than recommended, in some period or in all of them, even with the State growth tendency it demonstrated an unequal and heterogeneous characteristic.