Locating uncertainties in cervical screening

Abstract

Cervical screening has been carried out in the UK since at least the 1960s. As a central aspect of health policy it is the focus of a sustained research agenda across the social and biomedical sciences. On the whole there is considerable consensus concerning its effectiveness as a preventive strategy, although screening is also subject to substantial scrutiny across a range of persistent issues. However, the expansion of screening raises new challenges for the social sciences. These are reflected in recent studies which exemplify a notable shift in the frameworks adopted by social scientists in their approach to cervical screening. While this work focuses on distinct aspects of cervical screening, in common to many studies is the identification of various degrees and forms of uncertainty which are embedded within, and generated by, the processes and practices of cervical screening. This paper presents a synthesis of recent research on cervical screening, describes these points of uncertainty and outlines the implications of the analysis presented for a social science research agenda.

Keywords:

• Cervical Cancer
• Colposcopy
• Screening
• Women
• Risk
• Research