[Re: https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/cervical-cancer-56-men-are-reluctant-al... ]
Dear Diya,
Thank you for explaining the reluctance of some men (in India) to allow women to be screened for cervical cancer, particularly if the health worker is male.
You said: "In India, this belief is deeply rooted in a strong patriarchal society and the cultural stigma surrounding women who need to be at home at all times with little interaction with outside men! Such behavior even in today's world in remote villages or sometimes in urban settings is considered adultery."
I would like to ask about the experience in other countries. How do men's attitudes and culture impact on a woman's ability to access cervical cancer screening and treamtnet, and access to other basic reproductive health services?
Diya, you said "We counter this by involving only women advocates, doctors, and nurses who make women coming for screening comfortable by guiding them through the process."
Having only female health workers for reproductive health services would seem to be appropriate for some communities. I consulted AI (Copilot) which suggested 'male gynaecologists likely make up well under half of the profession in India, perhaps around 20-40%'. This suggests that many women in India are happy to be seen by a male health professional. Acceptance by the woman (and their partner) is likely driven by education, exposure, socioeconomic status, and cultural attitudes, with urban women being on average more accepting than rural women.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org